News and Features

• Duke Energy employees support Central Piedmont students in need of clothes for interviews and jobs
• Donations provide clothes for up to 200 students per month
• Central Piedmont is looking to expand this service to multiple campuses

Duke Energy employees made a major contribution to Central Piedmont Community College’s Professional Clothing Closet, donating thousands of items to support students as they prepare for the workforce.

The donation includes a wide array of professional attire, such as suits, dress shirts, shoes, dresses, blouses, belts, jewelry, and other accessories. This significant influx of clothing greatly expands the closet’s offerings and further empowers students as they enter job interviews and new careers.

“Supporting students with professional attire is about more than just clothes – it’s about confidence and opportunity,” said Amy Strecker, president of Duke Energy Foundation. “Every outfit donated is an investment in a student’s future, and we’re proud to partner with Central Piedmont to help empower the next generation of leaders to pursue their career goals.”

The Professional Clothing Closet, located on Central Campus in the Worrell Building, Room 1152, operates from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. every Tuesday. The initiative allows current students to select up to four complete outfits free of charge, helping them build a professional wardrobe and boost their confidence as they transition into the working world.

“The impact of helping students with clothes, especially those starting out in their careers, cannot be overstated,” said a student who recently benefited from the closet. “Professional, appropriate clothing is essential to making a good impression. Interview appropriate, quality clothing is expensive, so a student getting a suit, jacket, top, skirt, dress, and shoes for free may be the difference between getting an opportunity or losing one, which is a major barrier to cross after obtaining the degree.”

The clothing closet, which began in 2021, now serves up to 200 students per month. The college looks to expand its offerings to other campuses in the future.

Charlotte, N.C. - The connection between music, community, and well-being takes center stage at Music and Mind: Harnessing the Power of Community for Health, which will be held at the Parr Center Theater at 10:30 a.m. on March 29. 

This engaging panel discussion, inspired by the work of world-renowned soprano Renée Fleming, will bring together leading experts to explore the transformative impact of the arts on brain health. 

This event is guided by the NeuroArts Blueprint, a pioneering initiative merging science and the arts to improve cognitive and emotional well-being. Attendees will gain insight into how music and creativity can support mental health, boost cognitive function, and foster community connection—all backed by cutting-edge research. 

Featured panelists include: 

• Renée Fleming – Soprano, WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Arts and Health 

• Dr. Jonathan Burdette – Section Chief of Neuroradiology, Vice Chair of Research, Professor of Radiology, and Cofounder of the Laboratory for Complex Brain Networks, Wake Forest University School of Medicine/Advocate Health

• Ruth Katz – Vice President; Executive Director, Health, Medicine & Society Program; and Director, Aspen Ideas Health, The Aspen Institute; Co-director, NeuroArts Blueprint Initiative

• Susan Magsamen – Executive Director, International Arts + Mind Lab Center for Applied Neuroaesthetics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; Co-Director, NeuroArts Blueprint

• Dr. Jen Sullivan – Enterprise Leader National Service Lines, Advocate Health; Charlotte Symphony Board of Directors

Why attend?

Whether you're a healthcare professional, artist, educator, or someone curious about the power of music, this discussion will provide practical insights into how the arts can enhance well-being. Learn how music therapy treats stress, cognitive decline, and neurological disorders—and how communities can integrate these findings into everyday life. 

Join us to discover how the arts can be a powerful tool for health and connection. 

For more information or to register, visit Central Piedmont Tix. 

Central Piedmont students and employees can attend for free with their college ID. 

Dr. Deninne Pritchett, PhD., ACUE, has been selected for the Fulbright Specialist Program, a globally acclaimed international exchange program sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

Pritchett, the faculty director for Central Piedmont’s Truist Honors Program, becomes one of the select few to join the Fulbright Specialist Roster. The program has just a 20 percent acceptance rate, and Pritchett was selected due to her experience developing the honors program and her research efforts with honors scholars and doctoral learners.

The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government's flagship international educational exchange program, offering unparalleled opportunities for students, scholars, and professionals to undertake international graduate study, advanced research, university teaching, and teaching in elementary and secondary schools worldwide.

With this appointment, she will participate in international collaboration, sharing her expertise with host institutions across the globe and fostering a new generation of leaders in education, cultural exchange, and global understanding.

Pritchett is currently reviewing open projects to determine which host country and organization she can best collaborate with and how her partnership with them can create additional opportunities for Central Piedmont students. At any time, host institutions can select her to work on an existing project or develop one based on her skill set.

Pritchett's achievement is a testament to her dedication to academic excellence, enthusiasm for scholarly engagement, and ability to inspire and empower others. As a Fulbright Specialist, she will have the opportunity to connect with visionary leaders from diverse backgrounds, industries, and cultures, driving meaningful change and innovation.

In addition to her work with the Truist Honors Program, Pritchett is also an associate professor in psychology. She has earned the Mary W. and Wilton Parr Faculty Teaching Award at Central Piedmont and serves on the North Carolina Community College System Undergraduate Research Advisory Board.

In addition to the new associate degree program in Artificial Intelligence Technology, Central Piedmont offers two new continuing education courses this spring to support those pursuing certificates in AI. 

AI Foundations: From Curiosity to Career introduces the fundamentals of AI and explores how to use AI to improve productivity, communication, content creation, and more. Participants will learn to apply AI techniques to develop and execute real-world projects, showcasing creative and efficient problem-solving abilities. They will also learn about ethical considerations while exploring emerging trends. 

The course targets beginners curious about AI and its practical applications, professionals looking to integrate AI into their workflows, and students who want to explore AI as a career or personal interest.  

Develop in Swift: Fundamentals enables learners to join the dynamic world of Apple’s powerful programming language to create applications for iOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS. This course is based on Apple's curriculum and is tailored for beginners and those with basic programming knowledge. 

This course is intended for aspiring app developers with no prior experience, individuals with basic programming knowledge seeking to expand into iOS app development, and professionals aiming to enhance their technical skills for career advancement in the tech industry.  

Please email continuing education’s customer service or call 704-330-4223 for questions. 

On Dec. 12, 2024, Central Piedmont Community College proudly celebrated the achievements of over 1,487 graduates in a ceremony that highlighted their academic success and their inspiring personal journeys. This December graduating class, with an average GPA of 3.33, demonstrated remarkable dedication and perseverance across a diverse array of programs, setting a strong foundation for future contributions to the community. 

"Graduation day is the most joyful day of the year," said Central Piedmont President Kandi Deitemeyer. "It is a day of celebration—of hard work, determination, and the incredible promise that each of our graduates represents." 

Among the many stories of resilience and triumph, four graduates stood out: 

Tiffany Glover: At 45 years old, Tiffany earned her Diploma in Adult High School. After being laid off from a trucking job, Tiffany sought a better future and found her place at Central Piedmont. With support from staff like Deandra Williams, she excelled in her studies, discovering joy in learning for the first time. Tiffany plans to return to pursue a degree in information technology and cybersecurity. 

"Central Piedmont paved the way for me," Tiffany shared. "They supported my curiosity and will continue to support my future career development in an ever-changing world." 

Stacy Goode: Even with the birth of her fifth child in September, Stacy earned her Associate Degree in Nursing while balancing the demands of clinicals, soccer practices, and parenting. Her hard work paid off, as she'll soon begin her career at Novant Health. "Life is about facing challenges and sometimes getting thrown off the path you thought you needed to be on," Stacy said. "But you pick yourself up and keep going." 

Laken Granger: Overcoming personal loss and grief, Laken earned her associate in arts degree and will begin her baccalaureate studies at UNC Charlotte in January. After her father's passing and her mother's battle with cancer, Laken found purpose in education during one of the darkest periods of her life. "My education kept me afloat and gave me purpose," she reflected. 

The ceremony also featured a heartfelt speech by Tryphene Mabiku, a Biological Studies graduate who shared her journey from growing up in the Democratic Republic of Congo to Central Piedmont. Overcoming self-doubt, language barriers, and imposter syndrome challenges, Tryphene discovered the power of community and resilience. Quoting Cicero, she reminded her fellow graduates, "If you have no confidence in yourself, you are twice defeated in the race of life. With confidence, you have won even before you have started." 

Central Piedmont's graduates represent a wide range of accomplishments: 

• Degrees Earned: 379 Associate of Applied Science, 79 Associate of Science, and 704 Associate in Arts degrees. 

• Workforce Contributions: 361 graduates entering industries such as healthcare, engineering, business, IT, and education. 

• Community Impact: 194 Career and College Readiness students with high school credentials. 

As these graduates embark on their next chapters, whether in the workforce or at four-year institutions such as UNC Charlotte, Appalachian State University, and UNC-Chapel Hill, they carry the knowledge, skills, and resilience gained at Central Piedmont. 

"You are the future leaders, innovators, and professionals who will make a significant difference in the world," President Deitemeyer told the graduates. "Share your journey. Show others that hard work, determination, and the unwavering support of family, friends, and mentors lead to success." 

Central Piedmont’s Health Sciences received a grant to launch a new Radiography associate in applied science degree and a Limited X-Ray Machine Operator diploma program.

The funding is part of a North Carolina Community College System initiative aimed at strengthening the state’s healthcare workforce pipeline. The funds, appropriated by the North Carolina General Assembly, are helping to launch new programs and expand existing ones in high-demand nursing and health-related fields.  

"This essential start-up funding will help Central Piedmont play an important role in addressing the need for imaging services across the state and our local area,” said Dr. Lisa Moran, Dean of Health Sciences.

Start-up funds will be used to develop courses, hire a program director and full-time instructor, and purchase necessary equipment. Central Piedmont will work with local partners including Novant Health-Presbyterian Medical Center to satisfy the clinical requirements of the program, with the program’s first cohort launching in fall 2025. 

Current radiologic technologists will be eligible to pursue stackable credentials in CT, MRI, and Mammography. The Limited X-Ray diploma will also be an offering for Central Piedmont students that may be interested in a career in limited scope Radiologic Technology.

Central Piedmont’s Honors Program knows that technology is not just for tech majors, but is a transferable skill valued in a number of industries. Technology use is increasing and the need to understand its convenience, application, and efficiency must be a priority.

Research says that technology can support learning, collaboration, effective communication, problem-solving, critical thinking, digital citizenship, innovation, and proficiency.

Because of this, the honors program has expanded its current foundations to include technology literacy. Under this foundation, Truist Honors Scholars will expand their knowledge and use of technology for academic, professional, and practical purposes to create, curate, collaborate, and communicate in an effective, safe, and responsible manner.

Dr. Deninne Pritchett, the faculty director of the honors program, says that with the technology use increase, the honors program must respond to stay ahead of the ever-changing needs of scholars, the workforce, and higher education. A hallmark of Central Piedmont’s Honors Program is it is designed to evolve and adapt to Truist Honors Scholars’ interests and the goals of higher education, while also preparing scholars for the workforce.

Scholars will continue to have opportunities aligned with the existing foundations that emphasize hands-on learning, research, scholarship and innovation, local and global engagement, and leadership development. Adding technology literacy as a foundation is an obvious step forward preparing scholars for beyond what’s next.

The devastation from Hurricane Helene continues to be felt throughout the region, and several Central Piedmont Community College faculty members have lent their talents to help with the recovery. 

Both Matt Miller, chair of sustainability technologies, and Matthew Smith, associate dean of transportation, live in the Hickory area, not far from where Helene left its most extensive destruction. Once the storm passed, they jumped into action to help those in the area. 

Smith and others in his neighborhood immediately used chainsaws and other equipment to help clear trees that blocked driveways and streets. Once that was finished, and the magnitude of the storm’s damage was realized, Smith knew he had to do more to help. 

Smith traveled to Boone, where he had always gone hiking, and connected with Samaritan’s Purse to help with the relief efforts. 

“There's nothing like it,” Smith said. “You have people that are in absolute dire straits, and then an army of people that just showed up from all over the place to help. It was humbling and restored your faith in humanity, seeing people band together to help each other.” 

Smith and other volunteers came across a house with an elderly couple trapped inside due to a mudslide that enveloped their property. The mud had entered their garage and basement and pushed an outbuilding on their land down near a creek. 

Thanks to an excavator and a front loader, it took about four and a half hours to clear the mud away. Smith and others cleared trees and mucked out the basement, trying to bring good cheer to the homeowners by asking questions about the items they tried to salvage. 

“We would get them laughing about some things they didn’t even know they still had,” he said. “The gentleman in the house told us how they spent four days standing on their deck looking out at their yard, wondering how they would get out. We just encountered story after story like that from people we met.” 

Smith made four more trips to the Boone area and brought colleagues from the Transportation Department to help. 

Miller found similar inspiration to assist in the relief efforts, particularly after seeing the damage to his alma mater, Montreat College. He responded by utilizing something he teaches in his classes – creating mobile solar generators – and donating those to the relief efforts. 

So far, seven of those units have been built and donated, which allow families to charge portable devices and small medical equipment. However, Miller is not done there, as his travels to donate those units sparked a new idea for him. 

“Driving through Swannanoa into Black Mountain, there were families tent camping on the side of the road and the Swannanoa River with campfires and bottles of water,” Miller said. “There are walls of plastic water bottles all around these people, and it occurred to me that all the water they need is right there beside them. So, my class is working on a project to create a solar water pump that will pump that water through a filter and come out clean on the other side.” 

Miller praised the assistance he received from his colleagues as well, including Amber and Shawn Dobbins, Chris Facente, Stephen Gerhardt, Brittany Holleran, Jason Johnson, John Monagle, Cory Palmer, and D.I. von Briesen. 

Facente, the dean of skilled trades and transportation who oversees both Miller and Smith, praised them for their work in the community and the impact that they have made. 

“Both exemplify the values of collaboration, excellence, accountability for their communities, and courage,” Facente said. “They were not asked to take these tasks on, but they knew it was the right thing to do.”

Central Piedmont Community College is pleased to announce the launch of a new Registered Apprenticeship program in collaboration with Hendrick Automotive Group. Starting in Fall 2024, three apprentices begin an associate degree in Automotive Technology, combining academic coursework with hands-on experience at Hendrick Automotive dealerships. 

The apprentices will take classes at Central Piedmont's Levine Campus, fulfilling the educational requirements for their degree while gaining practical, industry-relevant experience at Hendrick dealerships across the region. Central Piedmont will serve as the official educational partner, providing the essential classroom instruction that complements the on-the-job training. 

This partnership exemplifies Hendrick Automotive's commitment to workforce development and nurturing the next generation of skilled automotive professionals. The Registered Apprenticeship program offers students the chance to "earn while they learn," equipping them with both the academic foundation and the real-world expertise needed for long-term success in the automotive industry. 

"We are excited to welcome our first group of apprentices and partner with Hendrick Automotive to help build the future workforce of the automotive industry," said Ed Injaychock, Director of Workplace Learning at Central Piedmont. "Our program provides a unique opportunity for students to pursue a career while obtaining their degree and developing the skills they need to succeed." 

For more information about the program, contact the Workplace Learning department. 

Central Piedmont Community College is excited to announce that its Continuing Education Information Technology (IT) program is now more affordable than ever. This makes it easier for individuals to gain the skills needed to thrive in the rapidly growing field of computer and information technology. This initiative underscores Central Piedmont's commitment to providing accessible education that directly contributes to the economic vitality of the Charlotte area. 

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that employment in computer and information technology occupations will grow much faster than the average for all occupations between 2022 and 2032, with approximately 377,500 job openings each year due to growth and the need to replace workers who leave these occupations permanently. The median annual wage for these roles was $104,420 in May 2023, significantly higher than for all occupations, which stood at $48,060. Central Piedmont's affordable IT courses are designed to help local residents access these high-paying opportunities, thereby boosting the local economy. 

Key Highlights of Central Piedmont's IT Training Program: 

• Affordable Pricing: Central Piedmont's commitment to education for all is reflected in its reduced pricing, ensuring that individuals from all economic backgrounds can gain valuable IT skills. 

• Comprehensive Curriculum: The program offers a wide range of IT courses, covering everything from basic computer skills to advanced networking and cybersecurity, accommodating beginners and experienced professionals. 

• Expert Instructors: Classes are led by industry professionals who bring real-world experience to the classroom, preparing students with the knowledge and skills needed by today's employers. 

• Flexible Learning Options: The program offers a hybrid model of in-person classes, live online instruction, and self-paced training, making it convenient for students to fit learning into their busy lives. 

Central Piedmont makes IT education more affordable, empowering individuals with the skills needed to enter or advance in a lucrative and rapidly growing industry. It also provides local businesses with a pool of skilled professionals ready to drive innovation and productivity. This effort is crucial to fostering sustainable economic growth and ensuring that Charlotte remains competitive in the digital age. 

For more information on the Continuing Education Information Technology program, visit the Central Piedmont website or contact the Information Technology Continuing Education department at 704-330-4223.