New named spaces on campus

Big news at the G! This year, three new namings will be celebrated.

NEW NAME: Harriet Shain and Jerome Evenson School of Education Building

The largest gift in UNCG’s history will transform its School of Education and elevate Jewish Studies.

Harriet Shain, who graduated from Woman’s College in 1953, and husband Jerome “Jack” Evenson served as dedicated teachers in Arlington, Va. Longtime supporters of UNCG, in 2005 they established the Harriet Shain and Jerome Evenson Endowed Scholarship in Education – a reflection of Harriet’s deep belief in the transformative power of great teachers. “When she passed away last year, she still carried her 1952 student ID in her wallet – more than 70 years later,” says Beth Fischer, vice chancellor for advancement. “That tells you everything about what this place meant to her.”

Her attorney, in reviewing the contents of Harriet’s safety deposit box, discovered a treasure trove of original stock certificates. Harriet’s final act of generosity totals more than $13 million. It will significantly strengthen the Evenson Scholarship, which has already supported 49 students. It will establish the Jerome Evenson Distinguished Professorship in Artificial Intelligence in Education, ensuring that future educators are prepared to lead in our rapidly evolving world. Her gift will also uplift Jewish Studies at UNCG by bringing new voices and perspectives to campus and supporting research that deepens understanding of Jewish life and culture. “We are humbled to honor her memory and celebrate the light she has left on this campus,” says UNCG Chancellor Franklin D. Gilliam, Jr.

See expanded story about the Evensons and their gift.

NEW NAME: Constance Hughes Kotis School of Music

Connie Kotis ’65, ’77 MM, ’25 LITTD (HON) and her husband, Bill, have stood by this University for more than four decades. Her impact in music has been stellar. The first Spartan to receive a master of music degree in applied music-piano accompanying, she taught music on the high school and university levels. In 1983, she joined the Greensboro Music Academy, now known as the Music Academy of North Carolina, as co-founder and chair of its piano division. In 2016, she was named Teacher of the Year by the North Carolina Music Teachers Association. Moved by the program that helped shape Connie’s career and artistic journey, they have elevated their generous commitment, ensuring even more students’ dreams come true. And the School of Music now bears her name.

NEW NAME: Charlene Moskal-Burges and Bill Burges School of Theatre

The newly named Charlene Moskal-Burges and Bill Burges School of Theatre is a loving legacy born of the late couple’s shared passion for education, the arts, and service to others.

Charlene Moskal-Burges, a 1961 graduate of Woman’s College, spent her life uplifting the arts. She and her husband, Bill, were longtime supporters of UNCG. Though they are no longer with us, Bill made certain that her love for theater education would live on.

“Char,” a 1961 drama graduate of Woman’s College, and Bill, who earned a PhD in education from Boston University, built illustrious careers on the transformative power of storytelling. They met at Cuyahoga Community College in Cleveland, Ohio, where she directed the theater program, and he served as VP for development. In 1983, they co-founded Burges & Burges Strategists, where she led the firm’s work in TV production and direction, media coaching, and speaker training, and he was their key strategist for fundraising and political campaigns.

The couple’s knack for finding and supporting talent to nurture and champion launched what Bill described as their “Burges grads.” The pair’s generosity helped countless people, which Char cherished, saying, “Working with Bill to create something together that will be shared with others enriches both our lives and theirs.”

Their substantial planned gifts to UNCG’s College of Visual and Performing Arts include establishing the Charlene Moskal-Burges ’61 and Bill Burges Scholarship Endowment in Theatre, which will be remembered as one of their most impactful productions.

By Jo Carol Torrez and Mike Harris ’93 MA