Charlotte Urban Institute celebrates Spring 2026 grads
It’s commencement season again at UNC Charlotte, and here at the Urban Institute, we couldn’t be more excited! Commencement is a wonderful time not only for our campus but also for our city. As sounds of excitement and joy fill the air, we want to take a moment to celebrate two recent graduates whose work with the Institute – and time at the University – culminated in hard-earned, well-deserved achievement.
Special congratulations are in order for graduate research assistants, Austin Trujillo and Varad Paradkar, who joined the latest class of Niner alumni on Saturday, May 9, 2026! We are so proud of all of your academic achievements and contributions to crucial applied research in the Charlotte region and beyond. We are grateful you chose the Institute to further your growth, development and knowledge. We will miss having you as a part of the team, and we’ll be cheering for you as you start your next chapter.
We will continue to cheer you along in all of your future endeavors!
Austin Trujillo
Austin Trujillo is a social work researcher focused on culturally-adaptive suicide prevention for minority populations. When he’s not at work in the social work field, his hobbies keep him busy. It’s not unusual to find him bouncing around North Carolina attending trading card game tournaments, card shows and conventions. He is a proud father, a humble husband and a secretly competitive person who strives to make an impact in every place he finds himself.
Varad Paradkar
Varad earned a master’s degree in Computer Science this May. His academic interests include data systems and analytics, and he is currently exploring opportunities in data engineering.