May 2019
A Time of Celebration
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Our annual Commencement Ceremonies are just around the corner, and we look forward to recognizing the Virginia Wesleyan University Class of 2019 for their hard work over the years! This is a significant moment in the lives of these students, their families, and our institution. We are thrilled to welcome these soon-to-be graduates into their next phase of life, and to stay connected as they flourish as alumni.
This will be an extra special Commencement Ceremony as it will take place in front of our beautiful Greer Environmental Sciences Center for the first time. Congresswoman Elaine Luria will serve as our Commencement keynote speaker. She and VWU Board Chair David Kaufman will be recognized with honorary degrees during the ceremony. Jonathan Zur, President and CEO of Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities, will lead our Baccalaureate Service and receive The Wesley Award.
This is also a time of recognition for a number of distinguished members of our campus community. The well-deserved status of Emeritus will be bestowed upon Dr. Timothy G. O'Rourke, Ms. Deborah Hicks, Dr. Robert Albertson, and Dr. David Garraty. Please join me in congratulating these esteemed administrators and faculty of the institution.
With Commencement weekend fast approaching, I encourage you to visit our website to learn all you need to know about the festivities!
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Highlights from the past month include:
Hampton Roads VOLUNTEER Achievement Awards
The 44th Annual Hampton Roads VOLUNTEER Achievement Awards took place last Friday, recognizing the region's most outstanding volunteers based on their length of service, initiative, and impact on the community. VOLUNTEER Hampton Roads honored outstanding leaders in community service with special awards, including the Lenora Mathews Lifetime Achievement Award, the Harvey L. Lindsay Jr. Changemaker Award, and the Corporate VOLUNTEER Excellence Award. Congratulations to Joan Brock, dear friend and VWU Trustee Emerita, who was aptly selected for the Lenora Mathews Lifetime Achievement Award. This comes on the heels of another well-deserved recognition: the Norfolk First Citizen Award. I was glad to attend the ceremony and support our good friend. The 2019 honoree for the Corporate Volunteer Excellence Award was Susan Colpitts and Anne Shumadine (In Memoriam). Anne was a longtime VWU Trustee and also a dear friend. We are glad to know her meaningful work is still making an impact. I was honored to participate in sharing a few words about both Joan and Anne, and I invite you to watch these heartwarming video tributes.
First VWU Theatre Production in the Goode Center
"Legally Blonde: The Musical" was the first theatre production held in the new Susan S. Goode Fine and Performing Arts Center. Directed by Professor of Theatre Travis Malone, the production ran from April 11-14. It was presented through a special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI), with music and lyrics by Laurence O'Keefe and Nell Benjamin, and the book by Heather Hatch based on the popular novel and MGM film. I hope you had the opportunity to catch one of the performances as it was truly excellent. It was wonderful to see so many of our Trustees in attendance. We are grateful for their support. Kudos to the entire cast of talented artists! More information on upcoming shows can be found at vwu.edu/goode.
Annual Robert F. Boyd Institute
The annual Robert F. Boyd Institute was held on campus last month in partnership with the Virginia Conference of the United Methodist Church. Dr. Scott Kisker of the United Theological Seminary served as keynote speaker. Following the event, we enjoyed a luncheon debriefing with special guests Dr. Kisker and Rev. Tim Earnhardt '91, Middlesex Charge UMC, in the President's Dining Room. View the Boyd Institute photo gallery here.
Spring Alumni Weekend
Despite the rain, a great time was had by all at Spring Alumni Weekend in April. We welcomed members of the
President's Parents Roundtable; had an excellent showing at the Friday evening Alumni Social at ShoreBreak Pizza and Taphouse; rooted for former classmates in alumni athletic games; gathered for a retirement reception honoring retiring longtime professors Bob Albertson and Dave Garraty. We also welcomed alumni back for a 40-year reunion of the Liberal Arts Management Program (LAMP)/Management, Business, and Economics (MBE). We are so grateful to our alumni for staying connected to the University, a true testament to the strength of the Marlin Family. Read more and view the full photo gallery here.
Marlins Day Open House
Future Marlins and their families visited campus in April for the University's second Marlins Day Open House of the spring semester. The day began with early-bird tours of our beautiful 300-acre campus and a welcome session in the new Brock Theatre of the Goode Center. With Spring Alumni Weekend in action on campus, guests also had the opportunity to watch alumni games and visit with other Marlins. Read more and view the photo gallery here.
Virginia Humanities Conference
It was a busy month as we also hosted on campus the 2019 Virginia Humanities Conference (VHC) meeting, "The Fluid Humanities." VHC is an organization of higher education institutions in Virginia whose purpose is to promote interest and research in the humanities. Congratulations to Dr. Diana Risk, VWU Professor of Hispanic Studies and the president of VHC, for her work in coordinating this successful meeting. Dr. Risk represents our institution well and we appreciate her contributions to the humanities disciplines.
U.S. Army ROTC Awards Ceremony
We were proud to attend the 44th Annual Awards Ceremony for the U.S. Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) Monarch Battalion at Old Dominion University. Five Virginia Wesleyan Cadets, members of the Army ROTC Marlin Company, were recognized with awards. Congratulations to
these VWU students
for their exemplary achievements: Zachary Raymond (Association of the U.S. Army Award and Outstanding VWU Cadet), Robert Mazingo (Scottish Rite of Freemasonry Award and Outstanding VWU Cadet), Gavin Steel (American Veterans of World War II Award and Outstanding VWU Cadet), Landry Moffo (Outstanding Varsity Athlete Award), and Dakota Felkins-Beach (Military Order of World Wars Award).
Expansion of Opus Student Work Program
College access and affordability are important topics in mainstream media nationally. Through the generosity of two donors, Virginia Wesleyan University's efforts to make education affordable have taken a significant step. The Opus student work program has expanded from a summer-program to year-round, serving at-risk students who wish to continue their studies at Virginia Wesleyan. I am extremely grateful to our donors who have made this valuable program possible. Read more here.
Employee Recognition Events
We have much to be proud of at Virginia Wesleyan, including our incredible faculty and staff. Their dedication and commitment to this institution is vital to our success. Throughout April, we paid tribute to our employees for years of service milestones as well as achievements over the academic year. At our annual Employee Appreciation Breakfast, we were glad to honor 36 members of the Marlin Family for reaching significant career milestones--from a decade to 50 years of service at VWU! D
uring VWU's yearly "Feathers in Your Cap" event, we also celebrated faculty and staff who in the last year have published a book or professional publication, completed artwork, obtained a grant, received tenure and/or a promotion, and more. I am honored to work among a talented faculty and staff who are so strongly committed to our shared mission.
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We will continue the theme of celebrating achievements through Port Day and our Spring Honors Convocation this week. Port Day will take place on Thursday and Friday, providing our students the opportunity to showcase their study away, internship, and research experiences. On Friday we will hold the 2019 Spring Honors Convocation, a meaningful tradition that recognizes students through individual awards in areas of academics, leadership, and service. We will also celebrate students in the Class of 2019, honor societies, the Batten Honors College, and those who have garnered a spot on the President's List and Dean's List. We hope to see you on Friday, May 3, at 1:30 p.m. in the Convocation Hall of the Jane P. Batten Student Center.
Congratulations to the many students being recognized this week and to the Class of 2019!
Sincerely,
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