Retiree Highlights

Have you ever wondered what some of UNC Charlotte’s esteemed faculty and staff members are doing after they’ve retired? This webpage offers a fascinating glimpse into the lives of our retirees, showcasing their continued passions, new adventures, and ongoing contributions to their communities and beyond. From pursuing long-held hobbies and traveling the world to engaging in impactful volunteer work and even starting new careers, discover the inspiring ways UNC Charlotte’s retirees are embracing this exciting chapter of their lives!

Want to submit your own highlight? Fill out this Google form to tell us about your post-retirement adventures!

Al Maisto

Hello to all my retired friends from UNC Charlotte.  For those who don’t know me, my name is Al Maisto. I began my career at UNC Charlotte in 1977, and fully retired in 2020. For those counting, that’s 43 years, although I began phased retirement in 2017.  While at the university I was honored to serve as a Bonnie E. Cone Distinguished Professor in the Department of Psychological Science, and as the chief academic officer, under many titles for the Honors College. I fondly remember my years at UNC Charlotte, where I was able to pursue my passion for teaching, and cherish the many friendships I made with faculty, staff and students during my tenure.  I never really planned on retiring from what I believed was best job in the world, but at my wife’s insistence, I turned in my grades in December of 2017, and two days later boarded a ship for a 6-month around the world voyage (my first ocean voyage on a cruise ship).  I am so glad I listened to my wife.

While I was fortunate enough to have traveled a good deal during my pre-retirement life, retirement travel was the beginning of a whole new chapter in my life. Prior to retirement, my wife and I used to bare-boat Island hop in the Caribbean with our children, or travel Europe via train and even backpack. But retirement added a whole new dimension to travel for me. Though my body can no longer endure the rigors of hoisting sails, long hikes, or hectic train schedules, retirement has afforded me with time. Rather than planning a trip for days or a couple of weeks, we can now plan to be away for several months, affording us the opportunity to truly savor the adventure of travel. I can honestly say that the passion and love I had for teaching at the university, I now have for traveling the world. Since retiring, we have visited over 130 countries on every continent. The only area of the world we haven’t explored yet is Sub Saharan Africa. So in January, we depart for a 4 month voyage, that in addition to exploring many parts of the Indian Ocean we haven’t seen yet, such as Sri Lanka, the Seychelles, the Maldives, and Madagascar, we plan to go on a few safaris in Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa, and Tanzania. The one thing I’ve learned in retirement is that the world is bigger than I ever realized, and the more I see of it, the bigger it gets.

So what have have you been up to since retirement. I hope you share your stories, passions and upcoming adventures, so we can all reconnect in our golden years.

Ann newman

Dr. Ann Mabe Newman, RN retired in 2012 after having taught at  UNC Charlotte for almost 40 years where she prepared over 3,000 nursing students for their careers in nursing.  She was also involved in creating several new programs in the School of Nursing, and received  numerous awards for teaching. 

Since retirement she has traveled extensively, is serving on various professional advisory boards, wrote a book, Miss Bonnie’s Nurses, a 50 year History of the School of Nursing, started 2 food programs in her spiritual congregation, and responds to daily phone calls and messages from the community seeking advice on health care and illness. She goes to lunch with former colleagues and former students and says her hobbies include serving on boards, reading, and being GranAnn extraordinaire. 

And finally Ann remarks, “As someone once said (excuse me for not citing my source): As a proviso, as long as my mind works I am happy to continue these life long activities. It’s clear that inevitably I will slow down”, but until then…

Donna Brady

Following her retirement from the Chancellor’s Office in 2012, Donna Brady continued her  involvement with UNC Charlotte working as events manager for the Dean of Health and Human Services. More currently she has served as chair of the Retired Faculty and  Professional Staff Association Board for the past three years. Her main source of fun and  recreation, however, has been spending quality time with her six grandkids, which she  considers her main priority. That includes several trips to the beach and most recently, a  cruise to Mexico with her son and grandson. She also enjoys staying in touch with fellow  colleagues from campus who regularly meet for lunch.