Chronology

	Faculty and staff appointments
	1964		Loy H. Witherspoon hired by President Bonnie Cone to create the combined Department of Philosophy and Religion at Charlotte College.
	1965		Charlotte College becomes The University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
	1970		Edward St. Clair joins faculty to teach religion and modern culture.
	1971		J. Daniel White joins faculty to teach religions of India and South Asia.
	1972		Ron Gestwicki joins faculty to teach religion and modern culture. Religious Studies and Philosophy become two separate departments. The original Department of Religious Studies begins with four fulltime faculty members (Loy Witherspoon, chair; Edward St. Clair; Dan White; and Ron Gestwicki) and Faye Jacques as departmental secretary
	1973		Jeffrey Meyer joins faculty to teach religions of China and East Asia. Department increases to five faculty members.
	1974		Herman Thomas joins faculty to teach religion in American culture. Donald Capps joins faculty to teach religion and psychology. Department increases to seven faculty members.
	1975		Richard A. Underwood joins faculty to teach religion and modern culture and is appointed chair of department. Department increases to eight fulltime faculty members.
	1976		Faye Jacques moves to Development Office. Ronnie Moon Stone becomes departmental secretary. Donald Capps moves to Philips University. Department decreases to seven fulltime faculty members and remains unchanged for 12 years.
	1982		Edward St. Clair appointed chair of the department.
	1988		Kathryn Johnson joins faculty to teach Islam and Middle East Studies. Department increases to eight faculty members.
	1989		Lorine M. Getz joins faculty to teach religion, literature and the arts; also coordinator of the Women's Studies Program. James Tabor joins faculty to teach New Testament. Department increases to ten fulltime faculty members.
	1992		Araminta Johnston joins faculty to teach religion and modern culture. Richard Underwood retires after 17 years as a faculty member at UNC Charlotte. Jeffrey Meyer appointed chair of the department. Tzvee Zahavy holds the Isaac Swift Distinguished Professorship of Judaic Studies for one semester. Department increases to 11 fulltime faculty members.
	1993		Dan Urman, on leave from Ben-Gurion University, is appointed visiting Isaac Swift Distinguished Professor of Judaic Studies for one year Ronnie Stone retires after 17 years as secretary for the Department. Evelyn Aldridge becomes departmental secretary.
	1994		Richard Cohen joins the faculty as the Isaac Swift Distinguished Professor of Judaic Studies.
	1996		John C. Reeves joins the faculty as the Blumenthal Professor of Judaic Studies. Joanne Maguire Robinson joins faculty to teach Christianity and Medieval Studies. Loy Witherspoon retires after 30 years as a faculty member at UNC Charlotte. Continues to teach New Testament as emeritus professor.
	1997		Judith Fagan appointed visiting assistant professor for a two-year term.
	1998		Araminta Johnston moves to Queens College. Edward St. Clair appointed chair of the department.
	1999		Celia Marshall joins faculty to teach biblical studies. Judith Fagan moves to Kenyon College. Department increases to 12 fulltime faculty members.
	2001		Ron Gestwicki retires after 29 years as a faculty member at UNC Charlotte. Moves to Sanibel Island, FL (winter) and Five Kezar Lakes, ME (summer). Evelyn Aldridge retires after eight years as department office manager.
	2002		Ann Burlein joins the faculty to teach religion and modern culture. Joye Palmer becomes department office manager. John C. Reeves appointed director of graduate studies.
	2003		Karin Rochester joins the faculty to teach Hebrew bible and religion in Western culture. Sean McCloud joins the faculty to teach religion and modern culture. Department increases to 13 fulltime faculty members.
	2004		Herman Thomas leaves UNC Charlotte after 30 years to become provost of Shaw University. James Tabor appointed chair of the department.
	2005		Julia Robinson-Harmon joins the faculty to teach African American religions. Jeremy Schott joins the faculty to teach courses in early Christianity in the Greco-Roman world. Department increases to 14 fulltime faculty members.
	2006		Juliane Hammer joins the faculty to teach courses in religious studies and in the College of Arts and Sciences Islamic Studies Program Fotini Katsanos joins the faculty to teach courses in liberal studies and indigenous religions. Department increases to 16 fulltime faculty members.