Monday, October 24, 2005

Wilmington, N.C. - Susan Dankel, General Manager of WHQR Public Radio, has been named this year’s Albert Schweitzer Honors Scholar. This award is given annually by the University of North Carolina Wilmington Honors Scholars Program and Randall Library to a person from the Cape Fear area who exemplifies the attributes or interests of Albert Schweitzer. Each scholar delivers a lecture to the freshman honors seminar and is recognized for his or her contributions to the region at the annual program and reception.

The lecture will be held at 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 3 in King Hall Auditorium with a reception afterward in Randall Library. UNCW administrators and faculty members, as well as invited guests from the community, will be present. The event is also open to the public.

The Albert Schweitzer Honors Scholars program is the legacy of the Albert Schweitzer International Prizes. From 1973-93, the prizes were awarded at UNCW to recognize individuals who had contributed significantly in the fields of music, medicine, or humanitarian efforts - areas that exemplify the interests and contributions of Schweitzer. Each scholar is chosen by students and faculty in the Honors Program based on his or her contributions in one of these areas.

Dankel is being recognized for her leadership in music for over 20 years in Southeastern North Carolina. She has served multiple terms on the Board of Directors of WHQR, as well as a volunteer producer and announcer. Her life-long interest in classical music, along with experience as a manager and college instructor and a commitment to Wilmington's cultural community, provides a strong foundation for her work in public radio. She became general manager of WHQR in Aug. 1999, following a 24-year career in Wilmington city government. Since becoming general manager, Dankel has increased the station's broadcast power from 10,000 to 100,000 watts. She has diversified programming consistent with the station's mission, developed a plan for studio expansion and equipment replacement, and increased operating revenues from a variety of sources.

Dankel graduated from John Marshall High School in Richmond, VA in 1964. In ‘68 she received a B.A. with honors in philosophy at Mary Baldwin College in Staunton, VA. She did graduate work in that subject at Duke University from ‘68-71. From ‘72-74, Susan was a part-time instructor in philosophy at UNCW. She completed further graduate study in public administration at UNC-Chapel Hill in ‘77.

She worked for the City of Wilmington from ’75-99, serving as assistant city manager and city budget officer. She oversaw the renovation of City Hall/Thalian Hall and the construction of a five-level parking deck. She also coordinated five successful bond referenda.

Previous recipients of the Albert Schweitzer Honors Scholar Award include Gerald Shinn, PhD., professor emeritus of philosophy and religion at UNCW, who established the original Albert Schweitzer International Prizes. Kenneth White, MD, a local physician who organizes medical mission trips to the Dominican Republic, and Margaret Weller-Stargell, chief executive officer of Coastal Horizons Center, a local crisis intervention service, have also been honored with this award.

For more information, please contact Kate Bruce, director of the UNCW Honors Scholars Program at 910/962.4181 or visit www.uncw.edu/honors/schweitzer.htm.

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