Asha Ellison

By Asha Ellison
More than 100 community-minded data nerds gathered at the Grand Bohemian Charlotte on September 10 for the National Neighborhood Indicators Partnership (NNIP) annual meeting. The network, composed of more than 30 local organizations in 31 U.S. cities, convenes once a year to mix, mingle, and share data insights and strategies to improve the quality of life for people across the nation. The three-day September event was hosted by the UNC Charlotte Urban Institute (Institute), the City of Charlotte, and Mecklenburg County. Collectively, the trio represents Charlotte in the network as a member of the NNIP through its collaboration to provide the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Quality of Life Explorer. This year’s meeting was particularly special because Institute staff had the opportunity to share the beauty, history, culture – and challenges – of the Queen City while learning and having fun along the way.

Those attending the event were able to participate in or observe engaging showcases, presentations, powerful panel discussions, and small group sessions that covered a range of topics, including the challenges and successes of local data use, governance […]

By Asha Ellison
Associate Professor of Sociology Vaughn Schmutz, Ph.D., was recently selected as the senior faculty fellow for the 2025-26 Gambrell Faculty Fellowship. He is the first senior faculty fellow in the history of the program. The Gambrell Faculty Fellowship began in 2019 to support innovative scholarship that leads to a great quality of life for everyone in the Charlotte region […]

By Asha Ellison
Do you ever wonder what resources might mitigate the persistent health disparities faced by Black families in Mecklenburg County? Curious about the potential of urban farming to address food insecurity or if public funds are equitably spent on Charlotte’s capital improvement projects? Have you ever questioned the role Latino fathers play in their families, how it impacts the family’s well-being, and how that role even came to be? 

These questions provide a glimpse into some of the topics the sixth cohort of Gambrell Faculty Fellows will study this year with support from The Gambrell Foundation and the Charlotte Urban Institute […]

By Asha Ellison
Sure, girls just want to have fun – they also want to feel safe and supported. A recent report authored by research associates Bridget Anderson and Mia Gaddy of the UNC Charlotte Urban Institute, found that women and girls in the Charlotte metropolitan area largely desire safe and inclusive spaces to thrive […]

By: Asha Ellison
You may speak to someone in passing; maybe share a greeting while purchasing a cup of coffee or have a brief exchange while checking out at the grocery store. You may even share a ride on the Light Rail, attend the same religious retreat with your respective churches, cheer together in the supporters section at a Charlotte FC match, or approach a public art installation in Uptown with the same curiosity, but when was the last time you made a genuine connection with someone different from you – in race, culture, class, neighborhood of residence, occupation or education […]