Charlotte Becomes More Visible With Chancellor Sharon L. Gaber
UNC Charlotte closed 2025 with a string of milestones that underscored its growing prominence, both within higher education and across the Charlotte region’s economic landscape. That momentum was recognized this month when the Charlotte Business Journal named Chancellor Sharon L. Gaber its 2025 Business Person of the Year, citing her role in elevating the University’s national standing, deepening its footprint in the city’s urban core and positioning it as a key driver of regional growth.
The honor capped a year of notable achievements for the University. In the fall, UNC Charlotte recorded its largest enrollment to date, welcoming 32,207 students, a figure that reflects years of sustained growth and expanding academic offerings. The institution also attained Research 1 status, placing it among a select group of universities recognized for the highest level of research activity — a designation that signals both academic rigor and increased competitiveness for federal grants and partnerships.
Physical expansion kept pace with academic ambitions. In 2025, the University broke ground on a $70 million expansion of its football stadium, a project intended not only to enhance the student experience but also to serve as a gathering place for the broader community. At the same time, UNC Charlotte strengthened its ties to industry, announcing a partnership with Honeywell that will establish an Innovation Hub on campus, designed to foster collaboration among students, faculty and corporate researchers.
The University’s presence in uptown Charlotte also continued to grow. It opened CO-LAB at UNC Charlotte Center City, a new space across from The Dubois Center that connects local entrepreneurs with University experts, reinforcing UNC Charlotte’s role as a convener for ideas, talent and economic development.
“I think we’ve done a lot to become more visible, and we recognize that we are intimately tied to the growth of Charlotte,” Gaber told the Charlotte Business Journal.
The Business Person of the Year designation adds to a series of accolades for Gaber, who has led UNC Charlotte since 2020. In the fall, she received the World Citizen Award from the World Affairs Council of Charlotte, recognizing her global outlook and civic engagement. She has also been named twice to the Charlotte Business Journal’s Power 100 list, which highlights leaders who play an outsized role in shaping the region’s future.
Taken together, the honors and achievements reflect a University — and a chancellor — increasingly central to Charlotte’s identity as a growing hub for education, research and innovation.