Charlotte Chancellor’s Professor Steven G. Rogelberg Recognized With The 2026 North Carolina Governor’s Medallion Award For Volunteer Service
By JENN CONWAY
Steven G. Rogelberg, chancellor’s professor at UNC Charlotte, was honored with the 2026 North Carolina Governor’s Medallion Award for Volunteer Service during a ceremony hosted by VolunteerNC on May 11 in Raleigh. The Medallion Award is the state’s highest recognition for volunteerism, presented annually to a select group of individuals whose service has made a transformative impact on their communities.
Rogelberg was nominated through Mecklenburg County’s award process, coordinated by the United Way of Greater Charlotte. Rogelberg’s leadership roles with several initiatives were part of his nomination.
The Care Conference is grounded in the belief that supporting those who dedicate their careers to helping others is essential to building a resilient community. Each year, the event brings together front‑line care providers who work directly with individuals and families facing housing instability, unemployment and other economic challenges. These professionals, serving in organizations such as Roof Above, Goodwill and Crisis Assistance Ministry, shoulder significant emotional and logistical burdens as they guide vulnerable residents toward stability.
The 2026 Care Conference was held in January and welcomed 156 direct care providers from 24 Charlotte‑area organizations, offering them a space for connection, renewal and professional growth. By equipping care providers with tools, insights, and community support, the conference strengthens the broader network of agencies working to improve economic mobility and well‑being across the region.
In 2025, Rogelberg launched the CARE Institute of Leadership, a coaching initiative for first-line leaders selected from Charlotte-area organizations serving the unhoused or working to prevent homelessness. Eight leaders are selected to receive full scholarships for six months of leadership development.
Also in 2025, Rogelberg founded Kindness Cart, a student-run program for middle school students. The program is mentored by Rogelberg but is entirely student-run, offering students in food deserts free healthy food. Students pay with acts of kindness they can perform at home, school or in the community, instead of money. Students participate in reflections to learn how kindness can be its own reward.
Rogelberg’s leadership in these efforts reflects a career deeply rooted in service, outreach, and organizational effectiveness. A professor of Organizational Science, Management, and Psychology, he is the founding director of UNC Charlotte’s Organizational Science program and a leading scholar with more than 200 publications on team effectiveness, leadership, employee well‑being, and workplace dynamics. He has secured more than $2.5 million in external funding, including support from the National Science Foundation.
His professional honors include the 2023 Raymond A. Katzell Award for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, the Humboldt Award, the Charlotte Distinguished Research Award (formerly the First Citizens Bank Scholar Award), and the inaugural Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP) Humanitarian Award. He is a Fellow of both SIOP and the Association for Psychological Science and has served in numerous leadership roles, including immediate past president of SIOP.
Rogelberg’s research has been featured across major media outlets, including CBS Mornings, NPR, the Wall Street Journal and the BBC. In 2022, he was invited to testify before the U.S. Congress on improving workplace effectiveness in challenging environments.
Beyond academia, Rogelberg has founded and directed multiple consulting and outreach initiatives focused on nonprofit effectiveness. His efforts through the years have supported nearly 10,000 nonprofit organizations.
“Our communities are under real strain — rising poverty, food deserts, insufficient public transit, underfunded schools and a deepening shortage of affordable housing. These challenges can feel insurmountable,” said Rogelberg. “No single person can solve them. But together, through small and meaningful acts, we can move the needle.”
The Governor’s Medallion Award highlights Rogelberg’s enduring commitment to strengthening organizations, supporting care providers and advancing community well‑being across North Carolina.