Lebra Nance focuses on students and views her role as one to assist them to achieve their goals of earning a degree and becoming engineers.
As a student services specialist in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Science in the William States Lee College of Engineering, Nance is a point of contact for current and prospective undergraduates.
“I handle administrative tasks such as advising, scheduling classes, graduation clearance and registration issues, but my main focus is to help the students,” said Nance. “In advising students, I spend a lot of time answering questions, but that’s okay. I want our students to know my door is always open to help them.”
And in some cases, Nance would prefer students stop by in person. While email is a technological tool that aids communication, it can protract resolving some concerns.
A 16-year veteran UNC Charlotte staff member, Nance is experiencing a year of peaks and valleys. In March, she was named an Employee of the Year in the category of devotion to duty. She was nominated for the honor after being recognized at the college level in fall 2015. Coworkers and students lauded Nance for her courage, professionalism, selflessness, strength, patience and optimism.
These traits have served her well; during the last year, she has dealt with health issues. “I have a great support system, and everyone here has been wonderful. I was surprised to receive Employee of the Year for the college, and it was an even greater surprise to be one of UNC Charlotte’s Employees of the Year.”
A native of Shelby, Nance spends most of her time away from work with family or in activities with her place of worship, Ebenezer Baptist Church, where she is a deaconess and has taught Sunday school. She and her late husband Dennis raised two children, Dennis Jr. and Michelle. With 12 siblings, five grandchildren, one great grandchild and a host of nieces and nephews, Nance has plenty of family engagements “that take up all my time.”