July 2018

Message from Chancellor Jose V. Sartarelli

Dear Seahawk Community,

Earlier this month, UNCW officially opened the first K-8 lab school in North Carolina at D.C. Virgo Preparatory Academy. The collaboration between the Watson College of Education, New Hanover County Schools and the Virgo community will support and engage students and educators at both institutions. We also announced new bachelor’s degrees in Interdisciplinary Studies, beginning this fall, and Coastal Engineering, beginning with the 2019-20 academic year, pending approval from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. We are very excited about the prospects of these degrees. Coastal Engineering, UNCW's first four-year engineering program, represents an important field that we would like to explore fully.

Our focus on community engagement, a leading component of UNCW’s Strategic Plan, continues to inspire a wide range of campus activities, including this year’s Lumina Festival, held July 12-29. The performances and programs intensified the energy and creativity that are always present at UNCW. Our university also plays an important role in preserving regional history. Thanks to a $25,065 grant, Randall Library is taking steps to digitize historic documents about the civil rights movement in southeastern North Carolina.  

The high quality of the UNCW experience continues to merit national recognition, most recently in the 2019 Fiske Guide to Colleges. Only four universities in the UNC System are included in this authoritative source of information for college-bound students and their parents.

With the start of the fall semester just a few weeks away, I look forward to working with UNCW’s Board of Trustees, led by new Chair Ronald B. McNeill, to continue supporting our students, faculty and staff in their endeavors. A university is only as great as its people, and UNCW has a wealth of Seahawks who are committed to excellence in everything they do.

Go Seahawks!

Jose V. Sartarelli
Chancellor

Top photo: The UNCW Board of Trustees elected new officers in July. First row (left to right): Dennis P. Burgard '88; Henry L. "Hal" Kitchin Jr., vice chair; Ronald B. McNeill, chair; Chancellor Sartarelli; Gidget Kidd '91, secretary; and Wilma W. Daniels. Second row (left to right): Michael R. Drummond '86; Henry L. "Hank" Miller III '85; Woody White; H. Carlton Fisher '83; Agnes R. Beane; Brandon Cole Tillett '20; and Robert S. Rippy. Not pictured: Maurice R. Smith '79.

Chancellor Sartarelli attended a reception celebrating UNCW's new Coastal Engineering and Interdisciplinary Studies degree programs. With the chancellor are (left to right) Greg Williams, chief of engineering at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Wilmington District Office; UNCW Vice Chancellor for Business Affairs Miles Lackey; and David Webster, senior associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

Sammy C. Hawk helped greet students at D.C. Virgo Preparatory Academy on the first day of classes. Virgo, which serves K-8 students, is led by UNCW in partnership with New Hanover County Schools and the D.C. Virgo community.

 
Elizabeth Lopartis, a lecturer in the UNCW Department of Music, plays the piano for “Opera Wilmington: Behind the Scenes” on July 14 in UNCW’s Cultural Arts Building. The event was a behind-the-scenes look at how opera comes together and a sneak peek of the company’s next production.