The discussion took place during “Immigration Matters: A Conversation on Policy and Law,” held June 11 at the in downtown Greensboro. The event was moderated by Omar H. Ali, professor of history and former dean of the Lloyd International Honors College at UNC Greensboro. Reynolds joined fellow panelists Heather Scavone, former associate counsel with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services; Abdul Omer, immigration staff attorney at the Center for New North Carolinians; and Kathy Hinshaw, chair of the Latino Community Coalition of Guilford.

Reynolds focused her remarks on recent federal guidance affecting the naturalization process, particularly the “good moral character” requirement for immigrants seeking U.S. citizenship. She explained that while the requirement has long been part of the naturalization process, new guidance encourages immigration officers to take a more “holistic” approach when evaluating applicants.

“It’s already a murky situation to explain to students and try to educate people on what is ‘good moral character’ because of this lack of a finite definition,” Reynolds said.

Historically, factors such as criminal history, community involvement, family responsibilities, employment history and tax compliance have been subject to assessment. She questioned how federal officials would interpret new guidance and potentially increase scrutiny across a broader range of factors, such as minor traffic violations.

Reynolds directs ������Ƶ Law’s Humanitarian Immigration Law Clinic, which provides legal services to refugees and asylum seekers in North Carolina. The clinic assists clients in applying for political asylum, permanent residency, citizenship, and employment authorization, as well as reunifying families separated by war and conflict, while giving ������Ƶ Law students hands-on experience representing clients under attorney supervision.

The camp, AI Play, is led by the university’s computer science department, teaches middle school students about artificial intelligence through hands-on learning and digital game design.

Alexis Goslen, assistant professor of computer science and director of the camp, said it is important to introduce kids to the basics of AI because they are exposed to it in their everyday lives.

“The cool thing is to get them to understand how those technologies are working,” Goslen told WXII. “Then they could maybe decide what they want to do with it and make informed decisions about it.”

Peter Felten, executive director of the Center for Engaged Learning, was featured in a recent Inside Higher Ed article about student belonging on campus.

The article, , examines new survey data showing that while many students feel known and valued, a significant minority report feeling invisible or disconnected.

Felten has written extensively about the importance of relationships and mattering to student success and emphasizes the importance of ensuring that every student feels seen and valued during their college experience.

“Every student can and should feel like they matter in college,” Felten told Inside Higher Ed, noting the difference between “belonging” and “mattering. Unlike belonging, which can depend on feeling that one fits into a particular environment, he said, mattering is rooted in feeling valued and known and having something to contribute within a given context—something that’s theoretically attainable for all students, regardless of age or any other factor that could challenge one’s sense of fitting in.

He noted that meaningful relationships with faculty, staff and peers are central to helping students develop a sense of purpose, connection and belonging.

The article highlights survey findings indicating that while most students can identify someone on campus who knows them in a meaningful way, nearly one-quarter are unsure whether anyone truly knows them or say they feel invisible.

Of the 9% of students who reported feeling wholly unseen, Felten said that’s “a failure on our part—those of us who teach and work in higher education need to create conditions where all students feel they matter. That’s crucial for student well-being, learning and persistence.”

How the course works

The capstone experience spans two courses. In the winter term, GAM 4100, cross-disciplinary teams form and move through pre-production — developing concepts, building early prototypes and laying out a project plan. In GAM 4200 during the spring semester, those same teams advance through the full production pipeline: pre-alpha, alpha, pre-beta, beta, gold master and release.

Throughout both semesters, teams follow the Scrum framework — holding sprints, daily standups and milestone reviews like a professional studio would. Students take on defined roles in the development process, including programmer, level designer, environment designer, and narrative designer, and are accountable for delivering at each stage.

“I think the ultimate skills gained from the capstone experience are working under constraints and collaboration,” said Pratheep Paranthaman, associate professor of computer science and coordinator of the game design minor. “We don’t always know what technical complexities we’ll run into, or what might slow the development process. But that’s where the real learning happens — solving the unknown, working through an ambiguous development landscape.”

The games

— Angry Sea Studios

“Your Friend, Sam” is a mystery adventure and puzzle game, where players return as the childhood friend of a boy who vanished a decade ago. Collecting clues, solving puzzles, and fighting off corrupted creatures, players work to piece together what happened. The game launched on April 29.

For Aidan Spoerndle ’27, who served as a gameplay programmer on the project, seeing it go live was the payoff for months of sustained work.

“It feels really exciting to have a project that I tirelessly worked months creating actually be published for everyone to play,” Spoerndle said.

Keeping the technical scope in check, he said, was what made it achievable.

“There’s no such thing as a small game,” Spoerndle said. “The reason we were able to accomplish so much in such a short amount of time was that we kept the technical aspects enclosed in a smaller scope and allowed our narrative and art elements to exist in a larger scope.”

Carter Puckett ’26, also a gameplay programmer on the team, says the minor’s coursework prepared the team for what production actually demands.

“The minor helped me understand the full process of making a game — game design principles that make games fun, playable, and achievable,” Puckett said “In game development, you will always run into things that you are unfamiliar with or don’t know how to do. “Knowing how to do research and use online resources is essential to improving your skills.”

— InDecision Studio

“Onslaught” is an action-adventure game set in Betham, a decaying western mining town suspended above a sea of clouds. Players take on fighting toward Sanctuary, climbing and battling through vertical environments in third-person combat while managing resources against escalating enemies. It was released on May 14.

Owen Crider ’26, who served as a level designer, says the production process that never quite ran smoothly — and a team that worked through it anyway.

“We encountered a lot of bugs, and even though it seemed like every week there was something new to deal with, we always sorted it out,” Crider said. “I also learned how important it is to always be talking to your team.”

Beyond the technical work, Crider said, the program offered something harder to quantify.

“The game design program for me is really a community,” Crider said. “I’ve built lots of friendships with people who are funny and helpful. Since everyone knows the problems and how tough it is to make a game, everyone is encouraging of one another.”

Noah Gartenberg ’27 says game development also comes with intense demands.

“There are so many different parts and finding ways to conserve energy and momentum becomes extremely important despite any and all setbacks,” Gartenberg said. “You need to rely on and trust whoever you are working with, because that is the only way to make any sizable game in any decent amount of time without burnout.”

“Back In my Day,” is a strategy-puzzle game built around an unusual mechanic: time only moves when the player moves. Players guide a grandma home from work through levels that mix puzzle logic and projectile-based encounters. The game was

released on May 5.

What students take away

Several students pointed to the game design minor’s coursework — and its faculty — as what made the capstone possible.

“All of the knowledge and expertise from Dr. Paranthaman and Professor Hollingsworth helped me think through various problems in ways I never would have without the courses,” Spoerndle said.

Puckett encourages other students to add game design as a minor.

“Every class in the game design minor was the class I most looked forward to that day,” Puckett said. “I hope that if any ������Ƶ student has any interest in making games, they try out the game design minor because it is a great opportunity.”

Noah Gartenberg says the class left him ready for more.

“In the minor, we learned various aspects of working in modern game engines, and we learned the fundamentals of game design, in addition to how to work with others who may not come from the same disciplines as we do,” Gartenberg said.  “Many of the classes left me with a whetted appetite for more game development, more creativity, more discussion with like-minded individuals. The program succeeds at teaching how to make games — in spades.”

That breadth of games is intentional, and the program’s aim is never purely technical.

“Our goal is to make not only game developers, but also project managers — people with leadership skills in decision-making and problem solving,” Paranthaman said. “The central core of what we do is student learning, community, and creative ownership: giving students the space to build something real, together, and see it through to the end.”

Looking ahead, Paranthaman says the program will continue to grow its library of published titles and deepen the studio simulation experience — building transferable skills in project management, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and problem solving that students can carry into adjacent industries, from software development and UX design to film production and beyond.

“Publishing twelve games on Steam is a milestone worth noting,” Paranthaman said. “But what it really represents is twelve teams of students who learned that they could start something hard and finish it. That’s the skill we’re building.”

All 12 games published by ������Ƶ game design minor students are free to play on Steam.

������Ƶ Assistant Professor of Finance Andrew Schwartz was featured in a recent WalletHub expert panel discussing the benefits of credit cards that do not charge foreign transaction fees and what travelers should consider when choosing a card for international use. The article, “,” brought together financial experts to provide guidance on managing spending while traveling abroad.

In the feature, Schwartz emphasized that foreign transaction fees can quickly add up for travelers, making it important to understand the full cost structure of a credit card before using it internationally. He encouraged consumers to look beyond promotional perks and focus on how a card aligns with their spending habits and financial goals.

“One common pitfall is assuming that “no-foreign-transaction-fee” means there are no additional costs when making purchases abroad,” Schwartz said. “As with any credit card, carrying a balance, missing payments, or incurring cash-advance fees can be very expensive.”

Schwartz also discussed the broader role credit cards can play in personal financial management, noting that the best card is often the one that complements an individual’s financial situation rather than simply offering the most rewards or benefits.

For ������Ƶ student Berenice Sanchez Rosaldo, the event marked a full-circle moment.

Berenice Sanchez Rosaldo ’29, a political science major who is in the ������Ƶ Academy and The Mac Mahon Family Scholar in the Odyssey Program, participated as a first-time presenter. She presented alongside Danielle Lake, director of the Center for Design Thinking, and Shannice Sellars, executive director of the African American Cultural Arts and History Center.

Their presentation, “Participatory Place-shaping: How Community-led Counter Storying Encourages Civic Engagement,” highlighted Sanchez Rosaldo’s work with the Center for Design Thinking. It focused on developing counter-stories that reflect participants’ communities and environments as a form of civic engagement.

Sanchez Rosaldo drew from personal experiences, including her high school, her father’s workplace, and the Dream Center — spaces she identified as influential in her development as a student, athlete and individual.

“Seeing Berenice present her story was such a proud moment,” said Melissa Chacon Villalobos, coordinator for well-being with ������Ƶ Academy. “Watching her grow from a high school freshman to a first-year student at ������Ƶ, and seeing the impact she is already making in Alamance County, is incredibly meaningful.”

Sanchez Rosaldo began this work before enrolling at ������Ƶ, first connecting with Danielle Lake while attending Alamance Burlington Early College at ACC, where she completed a summer internship with local summer camps across Alamance County, creating lesson plans for kids ages 6-12 during her junior year of High School.

She also credits ������Ƶ Academy as instrumental in shaping her college journey.
“������Ƶ Academy opened my eyes to the idea of college and created many opportunities for me,” Sanchez Rosaldo said.

Now an Odyssey Scholar, Sanchez Rosaldo continues her work with the Center for Design Thinking through the Power + Place Collaborative and by leading design thinking workshops across campus.

The Center for Design Thinking focuses on creative, structured approaches to problem-solving. Its Power + Place Collaborative works with Alamance County leaders and community members to document and share stories that reflect the county’s diverse communities.

������Ƶ Academy supports academically promising, limited-income, and first-generation students, while the Odyssey Program provides merit-based scholarships and enrichment opportunities for students with demonstrated financial need.

“What Berenice represents is exactly why ������Ƶ Academy exists – talented students who, with the right support and opportunities, go on to lead, contribute, and create change in their communities,” said Emily Wiersma, director of the ������Ƶ Academy.

Together, the ������Ƶ Academy and Odyssey Scholars Program reflect ������Ƶ’s commitment to civic engagement and to supporting students and communities in Alamance County.

For Sanchez Rosaldo, the experience also carried personal and generational significance. Her mother attended the presentation, marking a milestone as she watched her daughter present at her first conference.

Her story reflects the broader impact of ������Ƶ’s programs on students, their families, and their communities.

It also mirrors a larger, statewide commitment to civic engagement, as institutions across North Carolina continue this work through initiatives like the , which will take place in June 2026 and is hosted by North Carolina Campus Engagement. Together, these efforts highlight how experiences like the PACE conference are not just singular moments, but part of an ongoing cycle of learning, leadership and community impact.

�ճ����Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning (CATL) is pleased to announce that Tracey Thurnes, professor and academic operations coordinator of physician assistant studies, has been selected as the inaugural CATL Pedagogy Fellow for Teaching and Learning in Graduate and Professional Programs. Beginning in August 2026, Thurnes will serve a two-year term supporting faculty development and advancing excellence in teaching and learning across ������Ƶ’s graduate and professional programs.

Thurnes brings extensive experience in graduate education, curriculum design, assessment and student mentorship to this new role. Throughout her career in the Department of Physician Assistant Studies, she has designed and led courses focused on clinical medicine, clinical reasoning, and case-based learning while mentoring graduate students through research and capstone projects. Her teaching philosophy emphasizes applied learning, critical thinking, reflection, and professional identity development—key components of effective graduate and professional education. She has been recognized for her commitment to teaching and mentorship through the School of Health Sciences Excellence in Teaching and Mentoring Award. Thurnes recognizes that “Excellence in graduate and professional education is not defined solely by content expertise. It also depends on the ability to design learning environments that challenge and support students as they grow into confident professionals.”

Thurnes has been an active participant and contributor to faculty development initiatives across the university. She has completed CATL’s Inclusive Teaching Certificate program and participated in the Neurodiversity Summer Institute, experiences that have informed her approach to creating inclusive and accessible learning environments. In addition, her work with the Center for Design Thinking as both a Curricular and Research Catalyst has provided opportunities to facilitate workshops and collaborate with faculty from a wide range of disciplines. Through leadership roles including interim director of curriculum and instruction for physician assistant studies, chair of Academic Council, and director of the Accelerated Pathways Program, she has developed a broad perspective on teaching, learning, and student success across the university.

As Pedagogy Fellow, Thurnes will work closely with CATL colleagues to develop workshops, consultations and resources that support faculty teaching graduate and professional students across ������Ƶ. She is particularly interested in expanding support for assessment and feedback practices, case-based and experiential learning, student well-being, professional identity formation and inclusive teaching. Through this work, she hopes to create meaningful opportunities for faculty to share ideas, reflect on their teaching, and implement evidence-based strategies that enhance student learning and success.

Carla Fullwood, director of inclusive excellence education and development, has been selected as one of the

The awards celebrate companies and individuals who have worked to establish and advance diversity and inclusion efforts in their workplaces and communities. The winners will be honored at an event on June 18 at N.C. A&T State University.

“My work is grounded in the belief that inclusive excellence is not just an ideal, but a practice. It requires ongoing learning, unlearning and accountability,” Fullwood told the Triad Business Journal. “I’m inspired by possibility. The idea that unfair systems can evolve, that people can grow, and that we can create environments where more people feel a true sense of belonging. That is what keeps me committed to this work every day.”

At ������Ƶ, Fullwood leads initiatives on inclusive excellence and is a certified coach. She is a contributor to the Carolinas chapter of the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education. She was the closing speaker at NASPA Region III 2024 Summer Symposium, a featured guest on the web series “Good Trouble: Inclusive Pedagogy” and a guest on the podcast “Limed: Teaching with a Twist.” She also co-authored the article “Amplifying Student Viewpoints on Inclusive Student Experiences for Inclusive Excellence in Kinesiology.”

In her nomination, it was noted that Fullwood is consistently recognized by faculty and staff for her “highly effective and learning-centered approaches to expanding perspectives related to diversity and inclusion and developing skills for equitable practices.”

“Carla demonstrates her commitment to building capacity for empathetic human connections,” said Randy Williams, vice president for inclusive excellence. “She deliberately creates learning conditions that help people see the world through others’ eyes and act thoughtfully with kindness, regardless of identities. The Triad Business Journal wisely recognized Carla for her leadership at ������Ƶ and in the region.”

More information on the June 18 celebration is available .

Crowley’s research focuses on queer and trans communities, particularly in the U.S. South, and the ways language evolves. Over the past several years, trans people have gained greater public visibility, which, Crowley says, has sparked debates about language.

“How do trans people want people to refer to us?” Crowley asks. “What are the ‘correct’ ways to talk about transness?”

While many people look to Crowley for answers to these questions, Crowley is not interested in coining new terms. Through interviews with members of queer and trans communities, Crowley has found that people navigate the ever-changing landscape of gender and language in different ways.

“One interviewee said that if you’re about to say ‘thank you, sir’ or ‘thank you, ma’am’ to be polite, you could choose another phrase that conveys the same respect,” Crowley said. “Something like ‘thank you so much.’”

At ������Ƶ, mentorship takes many forms. Before arriving at the university, Crowley found mentorship through Professor of Art History Kirstin Ringelberg.

During the interview process, Crowley was asked whether there was anyone on campus they would like to meet. They requested a conversation with a trans faculty member to gain insight into that experience at ������Ƶ.

Ringelberg, who has been a member of the ������Ƶ faculty for more than 20 years, became an important resource.

“Knowing that they’ve been here so long and have so much institutional memory has been a great fountain of knowledge for me, especially navigating this campus as a trans person,” Crowley said.

Next year, Crowley will serve as coordinator of the Women’s, Gender and Sexualities Studies program. As they prepare for that role, they have looked to colleagues such as Ringelberg for guidance on creating spaces where queer and trans students, faculty and staff can thrive.

“Hiring Archie has helped with mentorship across campus,” said Ringelberg, “Archie is an incredible mentor, to our students and the way that Archie models positive but critical transness to our students is transformative .”

Like many ������Ƶ faculty members, Crowley has also become a mentor to students.

During their first year of teaching at ������Ƶ, Crowley taught Azul Bellot ’26 in an introductory linguistics course. Bellot entered the class as a psychology major but became interested in linguistics through the course. With Crowley’s guidance, Bellot designed an independent major in sociolinguistics.

Then, for an independent research project, Bellot interviewed trans women and collected stories about their health care experiences. Bellot later presented the research at the Student Undergraduate Research Forum, the Summer Undergraduate Research Experience and the Women’s and Gender Studies South Conference.

“It’s really gratifying to be able to guide someone through that process and see them get excited,” Crowley said.

For Crowley, Pride is more than a month-long celebration. Through their research, mentorship and work with the Women’s, Gender and Sexualities Studies program, they are helping build community where people feel seen, supported and heard.

Crowley keeps reminders of Pride’s history throughout their office, from a small brick they received at a Pride event in Alamance County to a poster commemorating the 1966 Compton’s Cafeteria Riot.

“The history of Pride is rooted in confrontation,” Crowle said. “It’s a celebration in the confrontation.”

������Ƶ honors Pride Month stories

As part of LGBTQ+ Pride Month, ������Ƶ is sharing stories through Today at ������Ƶ that highlight students, faculty and staff who contribute to a campus environment where cultural identities and experiences are celebrated year-round. Throughout the month and year, ������Ƶ also offers resources and events to support the LGBTQ+ community.

On Friday, June 12, students enrolled in the Study USA Washington, D.C. “Capital Connections” program had the opportunity to visit the United States Capitol, where they learned more about Congress and the architectural history of the Capitol Building on a special tour organized by Jacob Stoken ’22, policy aid to House of Representatives Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. After the tour, Stoken sat down with students in the leader’s office in the Capitol for an extended Q&A session, where he shared insights about getting started as a Congressional staffer and provided an inside perspective on how Congress operates day-to-day. After the Q&A, students traveled with Stoken to the Rayburn House Office Building for additional conversation.

Joel Shelton, faculty director for Study USA, Washington, D.C. and associate professor of political science and public policy, and Tom Kerr, assistant teaching professor in the Department of Political Science and Public Policy, joined students at the Capitol.

“I am exceedingly grateful to alumni like Jacob for supporting the ‘Capital Connections’ program in its first year,” Shelton said. “I’ve known Jacob since he was a student in my Philosophy, Politics, and Economics capstone course, and it is especially meaningful to see him thriving in Washington and to experience how generously he is mentoring the next generation of ������Ƶ students.”

The visit to the Capitol is part of the innovative curriculum for “Capital Connections:

Power, People, and Place in Washington, D.C.,” is a place-based capstone seminar in the ������Ƶ Core Curriculum that integrates classroom learning and direct engagement with D.C.’s institutions, cultural sites, and neighborhoods. Now in the fourth week of the nine-week program, students are busy interning in public and private sector institutions across the D.C. metro area, engaging with alumni, and attending special events and programming around Juneteenth and the upcoming 250th Independence Day celebration. This weekend, students will attend the Shakespeare Theatre Company’s widely acclaimed production of Othello and will join a special tour of Klein Theatre led by Company Manager Morgan Engle ’22.

Students interested in this experience for summer 2027 may begin applying on Sept. 1. For more information about the program, contact Anna Smith, director of Study USA.