Rosemary DePaolo, Ph.D.

Chancellor, University of North Carolina Wilmington, 2003 to present

Dr. Rosemary DePaolo became chancellor of the University of North Carolina Wilmington in July 2003. Under her visionary leadership, UNCW has attained national prominence as a model for teaching, research and service.

A highlight of her administration is an unprecedented university-wide strategic planning process which led to the formation of seven institutional goals. The overarching goal reflects the university’s commitment to providing its students with the most powerful learning experience possible.

These goals established a foundation for progress in 2003, each with measurable targets. Since then, improvement has been achieved in nine of the 10 major progress measures:

• Student-faculty ratio – improved from 18.2 to 1 in 2004 to 17.7 to 1 in 2006
• Student-staff ratio – improved from 10.9 to 1 in 2003 to 9.9 to 1 in 2006
• Minority students as a percentage of total enrolled – improved from 8.1 percent to 10.2 percent for 2006
• Freshman retention and graduation rates – freshman retention rate declined from 85.7 percent in 2004 to 83 percent in 2006, but the six-year graduation rate increased from 61 percent to 65 percent
• Percentage of undergraduates housed on campus – increase from 23.1 in 2004 to 32 percent in 2007
• Average faculty salary – increased to $65,408 for fall 2006
• Research and development expenditures – increased from $13 million in 2004 to $18.6 million for 2006-07
• International enrollment and study abroad participation – both showed an increase with 91 enrolled and exchange students in fall 2006 and 12.3 percent of students in 2005-06 studying abroad
• University endowment –increased from $19 million in 2002-2003 to $50.8 million in 2007
• Alumni giving – increased to 13.1 percent for 2006

In addition to forward movement in these progress measures, under her leadership, UNCW continues to rise in academic quality. The average SAT of incoming freshmen improved from 1104 in fall 2003 to 1157 in fall 2007.  This freshman SAT average places UNCW third highest in the UNC system, behind only UNC Chapel Hill and NC State University.  The 53-point increase from fall 2003 to fall 2007 is unprecedented among any of the UNC schools. In addition, out-of-state SAT scores now are second only to UNC Chapel Hill.

Full-time faculty positions increased from 467 in fall 2003 to 544 in fall 2007, with 86 percent holding a Ph.D. or terminal degree.  The operating budget increased from $142 million in 2003 to more than$221 million today.

Chancellor DePaolo has overseen the fruition of more than $108 million in building and renovation projects from the 2000 Higher Education Bond Issue, as well as more than $140 million in fee-supported and public private partnership projects.  More than 1,150 on-campus apartment beds were added for junior and senior students and an additional 650 are expected to be ready for occupancy by Aug. 1, 2009, bringing the university to its goal of housing 40 percent of its undergraduates on campus. Two significant legislative appropriations will fund a new $30.1 million school of nursing building and a $34.4 million teaching laboratory building. 

She also instigated the Seahawks SOAR scholarship program to provide 100 percent of the financial aid needed for four years for 500 students whose family income falls within a range of up to one and a half times the poverty level as defined by the federal government.

Private support continues to increase under her tenure.  Notable gifts include $2 million from alumni Herb and Sylvia Fisher to name the Fisher Student Center as well as gifts to establish two million-dollar distinguished endowed professorships, one in Jewish History and the other in jazz.

Now in her fifth year at UNCW, DePaolo continues to lead the university’s rise in national prominence.  In the 2008 edition of America’s Best Colleges published by U.S.News & World Report, UNCW moved from seventh to the sixth place among the best public regional master’s university in the South. Among the 119 public and private universities in the South that provide a full range of undergraduate and master's level programs, UNCW improved its overall ranking from 20th in 2007 to 14th in the 2008 edition.

Under DePaolo’s leadership, for the fourth consecutive year, UNCW received the “Best in the Southeast” and “Best Value” designations by The Princeton Review. UNCW is one of only four North Carolina public universities included in Peterson’s Competitive Colleges 2008: Top Colleges for Top Students.  This is the first year UNCW has been featured in that publication.

In November 2006, UNCW received the Christa McAuliffe Award for Excellence in Teacher Education from the American Association of State Colleges and Universities.  This was the only university in North Carolina and one of only two in the country to be so honored.

Throughout her time in office, Chancellor DePaolo has been an advocate for using the intellectual capital of the university to address issues of concern to the region, particularly in furthering economic development.  Under her guidance, UNCW achieved Millennial Campus designation of several sites to be used for public/private research ventures capitalizing on the university’s strengths in marine biotechnology among others.

She is actively involved in several initiatives to improve the university’s local and regional outreach efforts, including serving as an ex-officio member of the Greater Wilmington Chamber of Commerce, on the Board of Directors of the Foundation of Renewal for Eastern North Carolina, as chair of the Southeastern Advisory Committee for Biotechnology of the NC Biotechnology Center, and on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of the North Carolina Chamber, the state’s largest and most influential business group. She also serves on the Executive Board of the North Carolina Campus Compact. In 2007/2008 she chaired the local United Way Campaign with a goal of raising $2.3 million for Brunswick, Pender and New Hanover counties.

A nationally recognized humanities scholar and leader in higher education, DePaolo has served on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of the Association of American Colleges and Universities, as well as the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. She also chairs the Colonial Athletic Association's Council of Presidents.

Before arriving in Wilmington, DePaolo was president of Georgia College & State University, the state’s designated public liberal arts university.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Queens College of the City University of New York and a master of arts and a doctorate in 18th century English literature from Rutgers University.

A native of Long Island, New York, DePaolo is married to Fred Wharton, a retired professor of English.