Tuesday, February 18, 2003

WILMINGTON – Dining on Summer Flounder spawned and raised at UNC Wilmington’s ground-breaking mariculture facility, legislators and other guests learned at a reception Tuesday evening, Feb. 18, how the university is benefiting the state as it educates 10,700 students.

UNCW Chancellor James R. Leutze and the university’s Board of Visitors hosted the reception at the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences, a particularly fitting spot with the evening’s emphasis on marine science and the potential for pharmaceuticals from the sea. Former Ambassador to Barbados, Jeanette Hyde, a member of the UNCW Board of Visitors, emceed the event which was funded by non-state resources.

Chancellor Leutze also recognized UNCW alumni legislators Pryor Gibson and Keith Williams as well as the nine graduates of the Institute of Political Leadership at UNCW who are now in the General Assembly. Rep. Thomas Wright is also a UNCW alumnus.



Among the topics discussed was how UNCW is helping the pharmaceutical industry in Wilmington. In partnership with aaiPharma, whose world headquarters are in Wilmington, UNCW is offering a Master of Science in chemistry to about 20 aaiPharma employees each year – at their work site and paid for by aaiPharma.

The aaiPharma Graduate Fellows Program allows these students easy access to courses but also allows them to do their research at their work place, conducting research on projects that are important to the company. Dr. Leutze commented that AaiPharma is pleased with the program because it helps them keep bright employees and attract new employees to North Carolina.

Chancellor Leutze also updated members of the General Assembly on their 1995 capital appropriation of $17.5 million for UNCW to build the most modern marine science research and educational facility on the East coast.



“We moved into that facility in 2000,” Dr. Leutze said. “Since then, it has provided a venue for extensive collaboration with other universities as well as state and federal agencies. Now this program brings in $12 million in federal and state grants to conduct marine science research and monitor the health of our ocean and coastal waters. So your $17.5 million investment is yielding $12 million in grants per year plus significant scientific discoveries and educational contributions. I call that a pretty good return on investment.”



Other UNCW accomplishments included its impact on the state’s critical teacher shortage. The Watson School of Education is one of the top three producers of teachers in the state, and they are good teachers, with their 95 percent passing rate on required competency tests, 6 percent higher than the state average. Also, UNCW just announced a new federally funded program to recruit Marines to be teachers.

The School of Nursing is addressing the state’s critical shortage of nurses and is delivering health care to the underserved rural areas of Brunswick and Columbus counties. Through UNCW’s on-line technology, registered nurses in Columbus, Duplin, Sampson, Onslow and Brunswick counties can get their bachelor’s degrees completely through distance education.



As a player in regional economic development efforts, UNCW has added a Film Studies major working with Screen Gems Studios that is attracting more students than can be handled. Attending the reception was Frank Capra Jr. who heads Screen Gems Studios in Wilmington and teaches in the UNCW Film Studies Department.

Dr. Leutze also mentioned the Marine Trades initiative through the Small Business and Technology Development Center that is bringing hundreds of boatbuilding and marine manufacturing jobs to the East.

A lso speaking to the legislators was Dr. Dan Baden, director of the UNCW Center for Marine Science, who commented on the impact of CMS on the health of North Carolina’s waters and promise for biotechnology public/private partnerships.

Wrapping up the evening was a presentation by writer Clyde Edgerton who is on the faculty of UNCW’s nationally recognized Creative Writing Program.