Dozens of university leaders, faculty, staff and students were joined on Oct. 30, 2026, by the CEO of the world’s leading accrediting body for engineering education programs, as well as North Carolina’s secretary of commerce, for a morning of reflection on the rise of �鶹��Ƶ’s new School of Engineering and Computing.

After years of being housed within �鶹��Ƶ College, the College of Arts and Sciences, the university’s longtime engineering and computer science departments combined this fall to formally launch the university’s seventh school, a response to the growing importance of technology and innovative problem-solving across numerous professions.

“Establishing a School of Engineering and Computing reflects �鶹��Ƶ’s commitment to preparing students to be leaders, innovators and problem-solvers,” said �鶹��Ƶ President Connie Ledoux Book. “In today’s rapidly changing world, it is important to blend a superior technical education with opportunities for interdisciplinary thinking and experiential learning. �鶹��Ƶ students embrace these opportunities. By doing so, they easily demonstrate how to apply what they learn in the classroom to finding solutions for real clients, with real needs, even before graduating with the skills needed for fulfilling careers and lives of meaning.”

“The opening of �鶹��Ƶ’s School of Engineering and Computing marks an important milestone in the university’s continued growth��in national prominence,” added �鶹��Ƶ Provost Rebecca Kohn. “Faculty from two distinct disciplines are now better positioned to��identify and expand��opportunities for students to develop the knowledge, creativity, and leadership that are critical to addressing society’s most pressing obstacles. This��school will serve as a��new��model for preparing engineers, developers, game designers, cybersecurity experts and more who will advance their fields while making a difference to so many future clients and communities.”

Michael K.J. Milligan, chief executive officer of , delivered keynote remarks at a morning address. North Carolina Secretary of Commerce Lee Lilley shared additional perspectives on the economic impact of engineering and computer science when he offered remarks at a campus luncheon.

“I’m excited to showcase what we’re doing here at �鶹��Ƶ,” said John Walz, the inaugural dean of the School of Engineering and Computing. “Students who choose to come to �鶹��Ƶ will receive not only a strong engineering or computer science education but also a great foundation in the liberal arts. Our students will graduate with technical skills, the ability to work in teams and communicate effectively, and the potential to quickly serve as leaders in the field.”

The celebration opened with an address from Milligan in which he impressed upon those in attendance the importance of lifelong learning. He also spoke to the need to continuously develop technical skills, interpersonal communication and relationship building.

A panel discussion titled “How �鶹��Ƶ is Educating Engineers and Computer Scientists to Meet the Challenges of Today and Tomorrow” followed. Moderated by Walz, the discussion featured faculty members Professor Shannon Duvall, Professor Sirena Hargrove-Leak, Alex Strassberg ’26, and Kelly Little of Tryon Solutions.

Among the highlights from the panel was advice for students on looking for the right academic fit if pursuing a career in engineering or computing, how �鶹��Ƶ faculty work with students, and what employers are looking for from recent graduates.

“One of the biggest things for me as to why I came to �鶹��Ƶ, was the idea that I could do things beyond just my strict major and be able to engage in things that weren’t just theory,” said Strassberg. “When I worked on campus in the theater department, I came up with different ideas for stage lights. And I came (to the Engineering facilities) and built that.”

Following the panel discussion, guests discovered work from �鶹��Ƶ students through a showcase that featured projects, research, and innovations from both engineering and computer science, a demonstration of the school’s impact and outcomes from hands-on learning experiences.

The celebration concluded with lunch and Lilley’s message of the role and economic impact of engineering and computing jobs throughout North Carolina. The state’s investment in attracting advanced manufacturing, biotechnology, software development, and other tech industries creates a strong demand for highly skilled graduates, he said.

Lilley spoke about the importance of engineering and computing jobs to the state’s future.

“These professionals drive innovation, improve productivity and keep our state competitive,” he said. “They develop technologies, improve manufacturing processes, solve complex problems and their work helps companies turn ideas into reality. These skills influence where businesses choose to locate and where they choose to expand.”

Kimball was part of the first cohort of students to pursue the game design minor at �鶹��Ƶ. During his time at �鶹��Ƶ, he developed an interest in the technical and artistic sides of game development. Following graduation, he worked in the games industry in VFX and continued to expand his expertise and interest in technical art. He currently works with Let’s Make FX, contributing to VFX and technical art.

His return to �鶹��Ƶ brought his professional journey back to where part of it began. Kimball spoke to students in GAM 2100: Game Design, a course he took when it was first offered as part of the game design minor in fall 2019, with Associate Professor Pratheep Paranthaman as his instructor. Years later, he returned to the same course to share his professional experiences and industry insights with current students.

During the guest lecture, Kimball discussed his path into the industry, the current state of game development and the importance of decision-making throughout the development process. Rather than focusing only on specific software or technical tools, he centered his advice around five lessons for students preparing to enter a rapidly changing industry.

Build connections

Kimball encouraged students to develop relationships with people in and around the games industry by participating in game jams, meeting other developers, attending industry events and reaching out to professionals. He explained that he learned about his first industry opportunity through a connection before applying for the position. His experience illustrated how a professional network can expose students to opportunities they might not otherwise encounter.

Develop depth in your fundamental skills

Another central theme was the importance of understanding how and why things work rather than learning only how to operate a particular tool.

Software, workflows and technologies will continue to change. Strong fundamentals can help developers adapt to those changes. Knowledge spanning game design, art, programming and production processes can also help students communicate across disciplines and transfer their abilities to different roles within game development.

Advertise yourself

Kimball also emphasized that producing strong work is only part of preparing for an industry career. Students need to make their work, interests and abilities visible. A portfolio, he explained, can communicate more than a polished final artifact. It can reveal the problem a developer was trying to solve, the decisions made along the way, the reasoning behind those decisions and how the work evolved through iteration.

The message to students was straightforward: show not only what you created, but also how you think.

Slow down and be human

Because game development is inherently collaborative, Kimball encouraged students not to become so focused on completing their individual tasks that they isolate themselves from the rest of their team.

Effective developers communicate, seek feedback, understand what other disciplines are working on and recognize the challenges their teammates face. Technical ability matters, but so do communication, collaboration and empathy.

Have some fun

Kimball’s final point encouraged students to leave room for experimentation and enjoyment.

Game development can be demanding and, at times, stressful. Students should give themselves opportunities to experiment, learn from unsuccessful attempts and enjoy the creative process rather than treating every development experience as a sprint toward the next deliverable. Challenges and failures, he noted, are part of developing expertise.

Questions from students

The talk concluded with a Q&A in which students asked about artificial intelligence in professional workflows, portfolio preparation, collaboration and strategies for improving their skill sets.

Two themes from the lecture resurfaced throughout the discussion.

The first was the importance of showing your thinking. When creating portfolios, students should capture their development process in addition to presenting the polished result. Showing how they approached a problem, evaluated alternatives, incorporated feedback and arrived at a solution can help others understand the skills behind the finished�� work.

The second was the importance of not developing in a silo. Students were encouraged to communicate with teammates before and throughout development and to seek perspectives from people working in different disciplines, including art, design and technical areas. Understanding the work and constraints of other team members can lead to better decisions about one’s own contribution.

For current game design students, the visit also provided an opportunity to hear from someone who had once been in their position – taking an emerging Game Design curriculum at �鶹��Ƶ and exploring where those skills and interests might lead.

The larger lesson extended beyond any particular software package, development role or current industry trend. Tools, technologies and industry conditions will continue to change. More durable are the abilities to understand design concepts, reason through problems, communicate one’s process, collaborate across disciplines, develop professional relationships and continue learning.

Expanded academics
School of Engineering and Computing

The new School of Engineering and Computing will open in Fall 2026, anchoring��the university’s Innovation Quad��in the heart of campus. It will include��20��full-time faculty and three full-time staff positions with more than 300 undergraduate students. The school will include three new majors: , and . ���dz�����²�����, a former president of the��Milwaukee School of Engineering��and��longtime leader in engineering and technology education, will serve as the school’s inaugural dean.

Clinical Mental Health Counseling

�鶹��Ƶ’s new Clinical Mental Health Counseling program will welcome its first cohort this fall. The graduate program, at �鶹��Ƶ’s main campus and Charlotte national campus, will work to prepare competent, compassionate and ethical counselors committed to promoting mental wellness and addressing an urgent need for counselors.

Charlotte Physician Assistant Studies

�鶹��Ƶ will welcome Charlotte, North Carolina’s first Physician Assistant program with its inaugural class in January 2027,��pending achieving Accreditation-Provisional status at the September 2026 ARC-PA meeting.��Rooted in �鶹��Ƶ’s pillars of engaged learning, leadership, and global impact, the �鶹��Ƶ PA program in Charlotte is designed who uphold clinical excellence, are community-focused, and equity-driven.

Roberts Academy at �鶹��Ƶ

The Roberts Academy,��North Carolina’s only university-based private school for children with dyslexia, officially opens this fall. It will serve as a statewide and national model for structured literacy education. The school was established through the philanthropic vision of Marjorie and Hal Roberts, who have witnessed the transformative power of a multisensory approach to reading education.

The school will initially welcome third- and fourth-grade students in Trollinger House, before expanding its capacity to grades one through six in a state-of-the-art facility planned for East Haggard Avenue, set to open in Fall 2028.

New sights

Several construction projects have been underway this summer, ahead of the 2026-27 academic year.��The��Slattery Center��will be the university’s new health and wellness center, a central component to the university’s broader��HealthEU��initiative that focuses on six dimensions of health and wellness: community, emotional, purpose, financial, physical and social.

Renovations of the Mooney Building, home to the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education, are underway, including the replacement of windows and HVAC systems, upgrades to electrical and plumbing systems, and the addition of waterproofing.

The project, “Beyond the Books,” is a life-simulation board game designed to help first-year students build the academic, social and emotional skills they need to navigate the transition to university. She has developed the game since spring 2025 through a research collaboration with Jill McSweeney, assistant director of the Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning (CATL) and assistant professor of wellness, and in partnership with faculty at the University of Iceland.

At ICED, Hollingsworth, along with �鶹��Ƶ and Iceland colleagues, led a 90-minute interactive workshop introducing the game’s research foundations and giving 15 faculty from universities around the world the chance to play a prototype themselves. Attendees provided supportive and positive feedback on the game’s design and its potential applications at their own institutions, underscoring the project’s relevance to educational developers and faculty working with first-year students worldwide.

The presentation builds on a project that has already spanned an ocean: Hollingsworth traveled to Iceland in summer 2025 with funding from �鶹��Ƶ’s Center for Research on Global Engagement, playtesting the game with students, faculty and staff there and adapting it to account for cultural differences between the two institutions. During Fall 2025, she and McSweeney recruited over 100 students across �鶹��Ƶ 1010 and COR 1100 courses to play the game and participate in a semester-long research project that explored their experiences across their first college semester. This upcoming fall, students at the University of Iceland will be invited to participate in the project, playing a translated version of the game.

Thirteen students participated in AI Play, held June 15-19 in Lindner Hall on �鶹��Ƶ’s campus, where they learned about artificial intelligence while improving their AI literacy.

“The camp provides a way for students to get interested in this technology in an unplugged way,” said Alexis Goslen, an assistant professor or computer science. “We used a lot of ‘unplugged’ activities that do not involve computers like ‘Guess Whose Face,’ a game where the students act as the facial recognition system and we introduce the concepts by connecting it to unlocking your phone.”

Students participated in several hands-on learning activities that introduced concepts about pathfinding, perception and machine learning, speech recognition and more.

“We did an activity about facial recognition and that was really cool to see how AI uses facial recognition in our everyday devices and how a few viewpoints can map out entire facial features,” said Trisha Anna, a seventh grader at Durham Academy in Durham, North Carolina.

The camp focused every day on a “big idea” of an artificial intelligence concept. Students learned about concepts and worked in groups to apply the concept before ending with a group discussion on ethics.

“The ethics discussions were my favorite part of camp,” Goslen said. “The students seemed excited to talk about different scenarios using AI and they had really interesting perspectives. The discussions showed how the camp was challenging their thinking and I loved seeing students’ engagement in that.”

The activities throughout the week gave students the opportunity to problem solve, learn the basics of artificial intelligence, coding and ethics.

“I wanted to attend AI Play because I really wanted to learn AI and how to use it without doing anything bad and I also thought it would be a fun experience to try something new and meet new friends,” said Caitlyn Stephens, a seventh grader at Blessed Sacrament School in Burlington, North Carolina.

Throughout the week, Goslen noticed the students’ learning and growing.

“We held a workshop where students got to see the �鶹��Ƶ robot dog and the campers were amazed by it,” Goslen said. “They had so many questions and their questions were often based on material we had covered in the camp. It was nice to hear their questions because it demonstrated the knowledge they gained from the camp.”

As technology and artificial intelligence grow more prevalent in everyday life, it is important for education about these technologies to be introduced earlier, Goslen said.

Goslen said she hopes the camp sparked students’ interest in technology, computer science and engineering and remember the concepts when they interact with technology and choose how to use it.

The campers agreed.

“Some of the new skills I learned at the camp were the proper way to use AI and how it has such a big impact on our everyday lives,” Anna said. “With AI changing so rapidly it is important for all middle schoolers to have somewhat of a grasp on it.”

For more information about AI Play and information about future camps, contact Alexis Goslen, assistant professor of computer science, at agoslen2@elon.edu.

With a theme of “Breaking Through the Ordinary,” the 2025 Provost’s Report emphasizes the role of��innovation��in��teaching today’s students and creating learning opportunities that lead to human transformation. �鶹��Ƶ’s nearly 500 full-time faculty members exemplify an institutional commitment to the��teacher-scholar-mentor model��that defines the university’s nationally acclaimed approach to higher education.

Signature features in the report include an in-depth look at the way �鶹��Ƶ:

• Approaches��the use of artificial intelligence��and leads national conversations of its ethical applications
• Works to establish a��School of Engineering and Computing��that emphasizes the skills,��knowledge and global awareness students need to thrive in their careers
• Serves families of children with dyslexia through a new��private elementary school��like those supported through philanthropy at��Vanderbilt, Mercer, and Florida Southern.

The report also includes shorter profiles drawn from each of �鶹��Ƶ’s six schools/college that represent the innovative spirit faculty and staff bring to the community every day.

“As I reflect on these accomplishments, and on the important work that continues across the university, I am inspired by the talent, dedication, and shared purpose of �鶹��Ƶ’s faculty members, staff members, and students,” said Rebecca Kohn, �鶹��Ƶ’s provost and vice president of academic affairs. “Together, we are strengthening the academic life of the university and creating pathways that will sustain �鶹��Ƶ’s ability to provide a valuable and transformative education for generations into the future.”

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.”

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 �鶹��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 �鶹��Ƶ game design minor students are free to play on Steam.

Dr.�����dz�����²����� will join��the���鶹��Ƶ��University administration��on��June 30,��2026,��after nearly a decade��helming��a private university recognized for its emphasis on experiential learning, strong industry partnerships and workforce preparation.

Walz’s��appointment follows a national search and comes as �鶹��Ƶ��debuts��an academic division that��will leverage the��university’s nationally��ranked approach to undergraduate teaching and its emphasis on engaged, experiential learning in pursuit of human transformation.

“John Walz is an accomplished academic leader whose career reflects a deep commitment to student success,��engaged learning,��innovative program development and strong connections between higher education and industry,”��Provost Rebecca Kohn said.��“His experience leading engineering programs, combined with his collaborative leadership style and strategic vision, make him exceptionally well suited to guide the School of Engineering and Computing during this important moment in its history.”

John Walz is an accomplished academic leader whose career reflects a deep commitment to student success,��engaged learning,��innovative program development and strong connections between higher education and industry.

– Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Rebecca Kohn

Walz will provide��leadership for the School of Engineering and Computing’s academic programs, strategic planning, fundraising��and external partnerships while helping advance the university’s goals for innovation, engaged learning and student success.

When the school formally opens for the 2026 Fall Semester, anchoring the university’s Innovation Quad in the heart of campus, it will include��20��full-time faculty and three full-time staff positions with more than 300 undergraduate students.

Engineering is among the university’s most rapidly expanding academic areas, reflecting both national demand and student interest.���鶹��Ƶ’s existing ABET-accredited engineering program offers��programs��in biomedical, computer, mechanical, and environmental, as well as dual-degree pathways.����The school will include computer science and cybersecurity majors and a minor in game design.

�鶹��Ƶ President��Connie Ledoux Book said Walz’s background aligns with �鶹��Ƶ’s vision for the new school.

“The launch of the School of Engineering and Computing represents an exciting step forward for �鶹��Ƶ,” Book said. “Dr. Walz brings a rare combination of academic leadership, industry engagement and commitment to student-centered education. His leadership building engineering programs, supporting faculty excellence and preparing graduates for meaningful careers will position the school for continued growth and distinction.”

Walz has spent more than three decades as a faculty member, researcher and academic administrator. During his tenure as president of Milwaukee School of Engineering, he led the development of a comprehensive strategic plan, launched the institution’s first comprehensive fundraising campaign, expanded academic offerings in computer science and artificial intelligence, strengthened student retention initiatives and oversaw significant investments in academic facilities and student success programs.

Under his leadership, Milwaukee School of Engineering achieved record undergraduate enrollment, increased student diversity, expanded industry partnerships and raised more than $150 million in philanthropic support for capital projects and academic initiatives.

Before becoming president, Walz served as dean of the , where he led efforts to establish a common first-year engineering program, expanded��student success resources and strengthened relationships with industry partners.��Earlier leadership roles at Virginia Tech and Yale University included overseeing faculty recruitment, program growth and research initiatives while maintaining active teaching and scholarship responsibilities.

Throughout his career, Walz has emphasized strategic planning, student retention, faculty support and partnerships with industry and community organizations. He has also championed initiatives that broaden participation in engineering and technology fields and expand pathways for students to connect classroom learning with professional experiences.

Walz said the opportunity to help shape a new school at �鶹��Ƶ was particularly appealing because of the university’s emphasis on engaged learning and interdisciplinary collaboration.��He also expressed gratitude��to��Book, Kohn and members of the search committee for the opportunity.

“I am deeply honored and excited to be selected as the inaugural dean of the School of Engineering and Computing,”��Walz said.��“I have long admired �鶹��Ƶ’s commitment to engaged learning and believe it provides an ideal environment for educating the next generation of engineers and computer scientists.

“The combination of �鶹��Ƶ’s strengths in the liberal arts and its investment in engineering and computing creates a unique opportunity to prepare graduates with both the technical expertise and��leadership��skills needed to thrive in a rapidly evolving, globally connected world.”

Walz earned a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in chemical engineering at Tulane University before completing a Doctor of Philosophy in chemical engineering��at��Carnegie Mellon University.��He and his wife,��Moira, have three��daughters.

�鶹��Ƶ �鶹��Ƶ

�鶹��Ƶ is a nationally recognized leader in engaged, experiential learning that prepares graduates to be creative, resilient, and ethical citizens��and��leaders.

At �鶹��Ƶ, more than 7,000 students learn through hands-on experiences and close working relationships with faculty and staff who prioritize��teaching and mentoring. The curriculum is grounded in the liberal arts and sciences with emphasis on global experiences and career development. More than 80 undergraduate majors are complemented by professional and graduate programs in law, business, education and health care. �鶹��Ƶ is ranked No. 1 for excellence in undergraduate teaching by U.S. News & World Report.

�鶹��Ƶ’s academic divisions include �鶹��Ƶ College, the College of Arts and Sciences; the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business; the School of Communications; the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education; the School of Health Sciences;��the School of Engineering and Computing;��and the School of Law, with programs in Greensboro and Charlotte, North Carolina.

In 2025, �鶹��Ƶ and Queens University of Charlotte announced plans to merge institutions. Final approval from the U.S. Department of Education is anticipated by 2028.

�鶹��Ƶ student Rony Dahdal ’26, and his brother, alumnus��Rafi Dahdal ’24 G’24��were highlighted in a The Assembly article chronicling their family’s journey from war-torn Syria to North Carolina in search of educational opportunity.

The story, details how the Dahdal family’s commitment to learning endured despite the dangers of civil war and the challenges of rebuilding their lives in the United States.��

After fleeing Damascus in 2012 amid escalating violence, the Dahdal family settled in North Carolina, where education remained central to their long-term goals.��Rafi Dahdal is��an �鶹��Ƶ graduate through the Accelerated 3+1 Dual Degree Program in business administration and business analytics. He has gone on to serve as a Youth Trustee for the university.

At �鶹��Ƶ, Rony Dahdal has distinguished himself as a Lumen Scholar and Goldwater Scholar, conducting innovative research using LiDAR technology to explore noninvasive ways to detect vital signs — work aimed at improving health outcomes through emerging technologies.

“I felt so encouraged to continue research because I’ve seen my parents value higher education,” said Rony. “It was very hard to deal with as a little kid, but I look back on it now, and I’m grateful.”