Accelerate to Industry
Accelerate to Industry (A2i) is a workforce development program that allows graduate students to explore diverse career paths with our industry partners in the Charlotte region and beyond. This program offers a variety of modules that teach students how to transfer the skills they’ve acquired in their degree programs to meet the needs and challenges of industry. From one-day company site visits to semester-long team projects, A2i creates a host of meaningful interactions between sponsor companies and top Charlotte graduate students and postdocs.
Interested in presenting an A2i talk or workshop? Contact Dr. Jill Huerta (jhuerta2@uncc.edu).
FALL 2023 A2i SCHEDULE
| Date | Partner | Workshop | Presenter |
| October 6 |  | A2i: Multi-disciplinary Research in the Private Sector | Guiseppe Scazziota, Managing Director at Cefla North America |
| October 26 |  | A2i: The Impact to Talent Based on the Infiltration of AI | Mark Berkowsky, Equitable’s Head of Corporate Recruiting and Onboarding, and Susan Clifford, HR Leadership Partner |
| October 30 |  | A2i: How to Chart a Career Path when Everything is Always Changing | Kim Henderson, System Chief of Staff to CEO & Enterprise Patient Experience Officer at Novant Health |
SPRING 2023 A2i SCHEDULE
| Date | Partner | Workshop | Presenter |
| January 26 |  | Career Paths for Graduate Students with Data and Computer Science Skills | Matt Bryan -Squad Leader for Manufacturing in Enterprise Data & Advanced Analytics |
| March 17 |  | Multi-disciplinary Research in the Private Sector | Guiseppe Scazziota, Managing Director at Cefla North America |
FALL 2022 A2i SCHEDULE
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10.4 3:00-4:00 |  | Transferring Your Academic Skills to Private Industry | Matt Bryan, Squad Leader for Manufacturing in Enterprise Data & Advanced Analytics |
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10.18 12:00 – 1:00 |  | Diversity at Atrium Health: Aligning Values |
Shawn Anderson, Vice President of Talent Acquisition Shawn Simmons, HR Program Manager, Diversity & Inclusion |
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10.28 12:00-1:00 | | The Seven Ingredients to Success Part II | Kim Henderson, System Chief of Staff to CEO and Enterprise Officer |
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11.1 11:30 – 12:30 |  | Working with Search Firms Throughout Your Career | Jamie Martin, Executive Recruiter |
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11.10 12:00-2:30 |  | Purpose-Based Leadership at Equitable |
Susan Clifford, HR Leadership Partner Mark Berkowsky, Head of Corporate Recruiting and On-Boarding Jarian Kerekes, Head of Equitable Foundation and Social Impact |
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11.16 3:00-4:00 |  | Cross-Team Leadership | Pat Sellers, Director of Operations |
FALL 2021 A2i SCHEDULE
Listen up!: Developing and Improving Effective Professional Communication Skills is the first event in the Fall A2i series. It will take place on October 1 from 11 AM to 12:30 PM via Zoom and is facilitated by JELD-WEN. Space is limited, and an application with a resume is required in order to participate. Applications are due by September 28!
Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, JELD-WEN is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of doors and windows, and operates in 25 countries with 116 manufacturing facilities located primarily in North America, Europe and Australia. We are thrilled to have JELD-WEN’s partnership as the special industry sponsor of this Fall’s A2i series!
Thriving in a Hybrid Workforce: How to Adapt and Grow (October 15, 2021 – Zoom 11:00am-12:00pm)
While teleworking has been around for a while, the need for so many people to work remotely during the pandemic has vastly expanded its use. As you graduate and enter the workforce, you will likely face many workplace options including face-to-face, remote, and hybrid environments. Each one has its own challenges, etiquette, and opportunities. Join professional development specialist Kim Harris for an interactive session that will teach you how to figure out which environment will best support your professional success and how to navigate and thrive in each of these settings.
Giving and Receiving Feedback in a Professional Setting (October 22, 2021 – 11:00am-12:30am)
We’ve all heard the expression, “feedback is a gift,” but it’s a gift that can be difficult to give and difficult to receive. When we receive feedback, it’s easy to become defensive and stubborn or insecure. When we need to give feedback, we may feel hesitant to criticize a team member who has worked hard on a deliverable. Yet, figuring out how to use feedback to improve ourselves and our teams is one of the most important keys to professional success. This Accelerate to Industry(A2i) session, run by our industry partner, Tresata will be a 90-minute interactive workshop, in which participants will learn how to have honest discussions about improvement without damaging important relationships.
There will be a presentation and then practice in small-group breakout rooms where participants will receive (you guessed it) feedback from Tresata leaders. Space is limited and an application with a resume upload is required. Applications are due by October 19.
Check back soon, as we are currently adding more events to the Fall A2i lineup!
| 10.1 |
 | Listen up!: Developing and Improving Effective Professional Communication Skills |
Judith Malveaux-Ellerbe, JELD-WEN’s Manager of Internal Communications Holly Milanese, Manager, Corporate Onboarding & University Relations Cammeron Jacobs, University Relations Lead |
| 10.15 | Thriving in a Hybrid Workforce: How to Adapt and Grow | Kim Harris, innovative business professional | |
| 10.20 |  | Giving and Receiving Feedback in a Professional Setting |
Tresata representatives: Sagar Sharma; Pat Sellers |