February 2018
A Promising Spring Ahead
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Winter Session has come to a successful conclusion and we have begun a new semester here on Wesleyan Drive. This semester will be the last for our Class of 2018 --- the first graduating class of Virginia Wesleyan University --- and we wish our seniors, and each of you, focus and motivation as we look ahead to spring.
As we are winding down our seniors' time at Virginia Wesleyan, we are also preparing to welcome our newest Marlins to campus --- the Class of 2022! We will welcome hundreds of prospective Marlins and their families to campus for two Marlins Day Open House events on Saturday, February 17, and Saturday, April 7. Visitors will have the opportunity to meet with faculty to learn about our academic programs, ask questions about financial aid, admission, athletics, extracurricular activities, residence life, and more. As always, I invite you to share the excitement of Coastal Virginia's Premier University of the Liberal Arts and Sciences by recommending us to the next generation of Virginia Wesleyan students. Be sure to tell family members, friends, and high school students about our upcoming Marlins Days events and invite them to register at www.vwu.edu/marlinsdays.
We also look forward to hosting our next Batten Honors College competition events February 8-10 and February 15-17. The competition will feature receptions at the Virginia Aquarium and Slover Library, as well as various interviews and panel discussions here on campus. A group of our current Batten Honors College students traveled to Washington, D.C., in January as part of the "Batten Fellows Leadership Institute." Students stayed in the historic Foggy Bottom neighborhood and attended the Continuity and Change in American Leadership program offered by the Osgood Center for International Studies. The opening of the Batten Honors College and the completion of the Greer Environmental Sciences Center has greatly expanded our teaching, research, and service, and has advanced our goal of educating lifelong learners who will shape the future and take action to improve the world.
Speaking of the GESC, the accolades keep coming for Virginia Wesleyan's new state-of-the-art environmental sciences center. I am proud to share that the building has achieved LEED Gold Certification by the U.S. Green Building Council --- an impressive honor that comes on the heels of our "Conservationist of the Year" Award notification from the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and our advancement to Model Level status in the Elizabeth River Project's River Star Business program. In recognition of the GESC, Virginia Wesleyan University will be honored this month (Feb. 26) by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation with the organization's top award at the "DC on the Half Shell" event in Washington. We are honored to receive this recognition from the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, and I invite you to learn more about this distinguished event.
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Other highlights from the past month include:
Pamela Northam, educator, environmentalist, and wife of Governor Ralph Northam, has accepted Virginia Wesleyan's invitation to deliver the Commencement Address on May 19, 2018 --- the first formal graduation ceremony as Virginia Wesleyan University. Most recently the community outreach coordinator for Lynnhaven River Now, Mrs. Northam has taken a leading role in Hampton Roads and Virginia to protect water quality, improve the health of the Chesapeake Bay, and ensure the Commonwealth's natural beauty is preserved for generations to come. We are delighted that she will be joining us to share this special moment with the Class of 2018, their family and friends. It is an honor to conclude the first year of the Greer Environmental Sciences Center with an address by such a distinguished advocate for the natural world.
Under the leadership of Dr. Bryson Mortensen, Director of Choral Music, Virginia Wesleyan has received a grant of $71,000 from the E.K. Sloane Fund of the Hampton Roads Community Foundation to underwrite the purchase of a $154,000 Steinway Concert Grand Piano for the new Susan S. Goode Fine and Performing Arts Center. Virginia Wesleyan's piano, a Steinway Series D, will be housed in the 300-seat Joan and Macon Brock Theater and will enhance student performances and attract high-quality outside artists. The grant will be matched by funds from other donors to underwrite the full cost of this exciting addition.
Our newly designed Virginia Wesleyan University license plate, which bears the VWU name and logo, is now available through the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. This custom plate is part of a special revenue-sharing program, which brings a total of $15 of the $25 plate fee directly to Virginia Wesleyan to support student scholarships. Almost all of our 1,500 students receive some form of institutionally funded financial support. I encourage you to show your Marlin pride and make an investment in our students, and our institution, by securing your VWU license plate today. Visit the DMV website to get started!
We brought Virginia Wesleyan University to the world through various Winter Session travel experiences last month. Fifty-seven students and eight faculty members traveled throughout Israel, Costa Rica, Germany, and Hawaii, studying major world religions, conducting field research on neotropical ecosystems, examining Berlin's past through its present, and exploring the impact of adventure tourism on the environment, culture, and economy. And for the first time in Virginia Wesleyan history, two of our students took courses at Rikkyo University in Tokyo. International experiences are an important component of a comprehensive liberal arts education, and I am grateful to all those who made these travels possible.
Virginia Wesleyan has signed a Guaranteed Admission Agreement with Candler School of Theology at Emory University, strengthening an already strong relationship between our United Methodist institutions. The agreement guarantees admission with scholarship opportunities in Master of Divinity or Master of Religious Leadership degree programs at Candler. In keeping with our strong United Methodist heritage and traditions, this agreement will lead to further opportunities for VWU alumni to make career contributions as pastors, biblical scholars and servant leaders. We are honored to be associated with such a distinguished theological center at a prominent and influential institution.
Last month we welcomed the tenth class of inductees to the Virginia Wesleyan University Athletic Hall of Fame during a special ceremony in the Jane P. Batten Student Center. Congratulations to our 2018 inductees: Stephen D. Fields '11, Men's Basketball (2007-11); William Conrad Parker, Softball (1998-06) and Golf (2006-08); Jennifer L. Perkinson '07, Volleyball (2003-06); Sharon Hay Stokes '05, Women's Soccer (2002-05); and Sean R. Whitson '12, Men's Cross Country and Track and Field (2008-12). These five Marlins tell a story of excellence and truly represent a rich history of athletics at Virginia Wesleyan. They will be permanently recognized in the Athletic Hall of Fame installation, which is located adjacent to the entrance of the Batten Student Center. Read more about our inductees and view photos from the event on the Virginia Wesleyan Flickr page.
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Finally, it gives me great pride to share that Dr. Steven Emmanuel, Professor of Philosophy at Virginia Wesleyan University, is one of 12 recipients of the 2018 Outstanding Faculty Awards from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. The awards are the Commonwealth's highest honor for faculty at Virginia public and private colleges and universities, recognizing superior accomplishments in teaching, research and public service.
Provost and Vice President Timothy O'Rourke refers to Professor Emmanuel in his nomination letter as the "quintessential teacher-scholar"... "a person of uncommon ability, good spirit, integrity, and civic commitment." Indeed, his accomplishments and upstanding character are admirable and his academic and community impact is far reaching.
We are immensely proud of Dr. Emmanuel and grateful for his contributions to Virginia Wesleyan University. It is an honor to work among extraordinarily talented faculty who are so strongly committed to excellence in both teaching and scholarship.
I hope you take as much pride in this recognition, and in Virginia Wesleyan University, as I do.
Sincerely,
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