UNC Charlotte celebrates Joyce Waddell ’73 with portrait unveiling
UNC Charlotte honored Joyce Davis Waddell ’73 on Saturday, Oct. 3, with a ceremony and portrait unveiling at the Joyce Davis Waddell Center for Student Health and Wellbeing. The celebration, part of Niner Nation Week and Homecoming 2026, recognized Waddell’s decades‑long commitment to UNC Charlotte, education, public service and student wellness.
“Dr. Waddell’s lifelong commitment to education, public service and student well‑being has strengthened this University and the broader Charlotte community,” Kevin Bailey, vice chancellor for student affairs said. “Honoring her in a space dedicated to student health is a fitting tribute to a leader whose work continues to uplift future generations.”
Waddell also shared a personal connection to Miss Bonnie Cone, UNC Charlotte’s founding educator, who lived just one block away. During Waddell’s run for the Charlotte‑Mecklenburg Board of Education, she visited Cone at her home, where Cone encouraged her candidacy. Cone remained an active and beloved presence in the neighborhood, even joining Waddell as her passenger in the community’s Fourth of July parade.
The UNC Charlotte Alumni Association honored Waddell with a Distinguished Alumni Award in 2025, recognizing her as a tireless advocate for community empowerment. Throughout her career, she has worked to transform the lives of North Carolinians through her unwavering commitment to education, health care and housing.
Waddell, the first African American woman from Mecklenburg County elected to the North Carolina Senate, has represented District 40 since 2015. Waddell’s career spans more than 30 years in education — including 21 years with Charlotte‑Mecklenburg Schools — and influential service on the Charlotte‑Mecklenburg Board of Education. She has championed statewide policies supporting women, children and families and launched community initiatives such as Housing and Family Connection.
She is a graduate of South Carolina State University and holds master’s degrees from UNC Charlotte, North Carolina A&T State University and Appalachian State University. She earned her doctorate from UNC Greensboro.
In 2023, UNC Charlotte renamed its student health center in her honor, recognizing her longstanding and generous support for education and student well‑being. Waddell also established the Joyce Davis Waddell Student Wellness Support Fund in the Division of Student Affairs, expanding access to resources that help students thrive academically and personally.