Wednesday, June 13, 2001

As one of 14 attendees selected from a nationwide pool of applicants, UNC Wilmington Provost John C. Cavanaugh will spend June 14-30 in Brazil working with representatives from various universities to develop exchange agreements between American and Brazilian institutions. This special seminar is sponsored by the Fulbright Program and the U.S. Department of Education.

“My goal is to have UNCW become a major exchange partner with several universities in Brazil to further strengthen our presence in the Caribbean, Mexico and Central and South America,” said Cavanaugh, who also serves as vice chancellor for academic affairs at UNC Wilmington.

“The University of North Carolina at Wilmington has a long history of educational and research partnerships in this region,” said Cavanaugh.

For example, through its Center for Marine Science, UNCW manages one of six regional National Undersea Research Centers (NURC) supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). UNCW/NURC, which conducts undersea research off the southeastern United States from North Carolina to Texas, organized a research mission that used the deep submergence vehicle Alvin to study the depths of the Gulf of Mexico in October 2000. UNCW also spearheaded the establishment of the Joint Institute for Caribbean Studies.

UNCW is collaborating with the University of the Virgin Islands; Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey; the University of South Carolina; the U.S. Department of the Interior; and the U.S. Department of Commerce/NOAA to support marine science research and education in the U.S. Virgin Islands and adjacent regions.

Through UNCW’s Office of International Programs, students can study abroad or participate in exchange programs at universities in Belize and Ecuador. UNCW also offers exchange programs with universities in Barbados and Chile. Exchange programs allow students to attend foreign universities at the same tuition rate as their home universities.

During the trip to Brazil, Cavanaugh will visit several institutions including the University of Brasilia, the Federal University of Pernambuco and the Federal University of Bahia.

Other U.S. universities sending representatives to this special Fulbright seminar in Brazil include Bowling Green State University, Texas Southern University, University of California at Davis, University of Missouri at Kansas City, UNC Chapel Hill and UNC Greensboro.

For more information, contact Dr. Cavanaugh at 910/962-3389.