Dialogue: Nota Bene: Weekly Update

April 26, 2021

Good morning,

Congratulations to the students and faculty participating in our virtual Port Day. What an impressive collection of work! The event continues through today, so be sure to view the student presentations on the Port Day YouTube channel.

Port Day signals the end of another semester with final exams, Baccalaureate and Commencement just around the corner. I continue to be grateful for the resiliency, commitment, and creativity shown by students, faculty and staff throughout this academic year.

I’ve also been extremely impressed by the generosity I’ve seen so far from the Class of 2021 toward the traditional senior gift as well as from our Marlin family around the world during our Day of Giving held last Friday. A very special thank you to Trustees Tim Bailey '83 and Gary Bonnewell '79 who provided matching gifts of $5,000 each to inspire participation in the day. I look forward to sharing more about our fundraising efforts from both campaigns soon.

In other good news, I am pleased to announce our new chaplain, Rev. Kotosha Griffin. Rev. Griffin joins Heritage United Methodist Church as its pastor and VWU as our chaplain from McGaheysville United Methodist Church in the Shenandoah Valley. Her husband Bertrand (also pictured) is also a minister and will serve as the pastor of Aldersgate United Methodist Church in Norfolk. He previously served on Bishop Sharma D. Lewis’s staff at Wesley Chapel UMC in the North Georgia Conference.

Through the leadership of Bishop Lewis, Rev. Griffin is enhancing her leadership capacity by participating in a cohort offered by Mosaix. This cohort helps leaders to establish healthy multi-ethnic and economically diverse, culturally intelligent, socially just, and financially sustainable churches to express God’s love to all people.

Rev. Griffin is an ordained elder in the Virginia Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science/Pre-Law at Barber-Scotia College. She received a Master of Divinity at Wesley Theological Seminary.

Bishop Lewis commented that VWU “will be blessed by Kotosha and Bertrand,” and we are thrilled to welcome the Griffins to the Marlin family. We look forward to a fruitful partnership of fellowship and service between VWU and Heritage UMC.

Once again, I thank Bishop Lewis, District Superintendent Wayne Snead and Don Ziegler, Chair of the Board of Directors at Heritage UMC, for their assistance in making this “win-win” collaboration possible.

Last week we all felt a sense of hope and promise in the guilty verdict of Derek Chauvin. But as we know, the ruling was just a small step toward the work that still needs to be done in our institutions, in our communities, and in our own spheres of influence. Read my initial comments on the trial outcome, and please join me in future conversations on issues relating to systemic racism.

Congratulations to John Rudel, Professor of Art and Curator of Exhibitions for the Neil Britton Art Gallery, on his appointment as Director of Undergraduate Research. John received his Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Georgia in 2002. In 2003 he served as a Visiting Lecturer of Art at Clemson University, and in 2004-2005, he was an Assistant Professor of Art at William Carey College in Gulfport, Mississippi. We hope that John’s appointment to this role shows students that undergraduate research is for all majors and disciplines of study.

I thank Dr. Soraya Bartol, Professor of Marine Biology, for her hard work and commitment to our undergraduate research program for the last several years.

ET CETERA

Governor Northam announced last week a further easing of restrictions related to the pandemic starting on May 15. This gives us additional hope that our intent to open fully in-person for the Fall 2021 Semester will be realized. Governor Northam believes that we can, in his words, “respectfully open” in-person for the fall. He expects that by the end of his term in January, the pandemic will be, as he puts it, “in the rearview mirror.”

In the meantime, we encourage our students, faculty, and staff to get vaccinated. There are many site options for vaccinations for all persons over the age of 18. Some options include the VDH location at the Virginia Beach Convention Center (1000 19th St, Virginia Beach, VA 23451), the FEMA location at Military Circle Mall (880 N Military Hwy, Norfolk, VA 23502), or to make arrangements with a primary care provider or a participating pharmacy. Visit vaccinate.virginia.gov for more information.

In 2017 when Virginia Wesleyan became a university, the institution was organized into four academic schools plus an honors college and a university college (now VWU Global Campus.)

Last week I presented Dr. Leslie Caughell, Dean of the Birdsong School of Social Science; Dr. Ben Dobrin, Dean of the D. Henry Watts School of Professional Studies; Dr. Steven Emmanuel, Dean of the Susan S. Goode School of the Arts and Humanities; Dr. Deirdre Gonsalves-Jackson, Dean of VWU Global Campus; and Dr. Vic Townsend, Dean of the Joan P. Brock School of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, with medallions for each of their respective schools to be worn at Commencement and other formal events. (Dr. Joyce Easter, Dean of the Batten Honors College, received the BHC medallion when the program was created in 2017.)

Each dean is the steward of their respective school’s medallion while he/she remains in that role. At the closing of a dean’s tenure, the medallion will be passed to the new dean in a ceremonial manner.

AROUND TOWN AND ACROSS CAMPUS

Congratulations to our ROTC Cadets

VWU Cadets were honored at last week’s virtual U.S. Army ROTC Monarch Battalion Spring Awards Ceremony. Congratulations to Gabriel Jessup, recipient of the National Sojourners Award; Toby Somers, recipient of the Sons of the American Revolution Award; Emily Imhopf, recipient of the Daughters of the American Colonists Award; and Robert Mazingo, recipient of the Special Forces Award and the Outstanding VWU Cadet Award. Robert is a senior cadet who will be commissioned during a special ceremony on Friday, May 7. Kudos to all!

Alumna in the News

As the director and chief curator of the Hampton University Museum, Dr. Vanessa Thaxton-Ward '83 partnered with the Chrysler Museum of Art to receive a $500,000 grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation for a three year pilot project titled "Diversifying the Field of Conservation and Curation.” Read the story published by the Chrysler Museum of Art, who is also a partner of VWU, here.

The Latest Issue of the Metropolitan Universities Journal Available Now

The latest issue of Metropolitan Universities journal presents work covering important topics and perspectives that will be beneficial to a wide range of institutions and campus leaders. Virginia Wesleyan, Virginia Commonwealth University, and George Washington University (Northern Virginia) are the only institutions from Virginia with classification and membership in the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities (CUMU). During these challenging times, CUMU has been an amazing resource and network of like-minded institutions sharing valuable information and feedback as we all plan for the unexpected. Learn more about CUMU here.

Beverly Hall

We had a wonderful visit last week from Trustee Emerita Susan Torma Beverly, Class of 1972 and the building’s namesake. Susan toured the building and was impressed by its modernization and overall appeal. We thank her for her generous support of this project and many other University initiatives throughout the years.

Inside the building, the curtain has been hung in Hofheimer Theatre. We look forward to offering theatrical programs in that space again next year.

David L. Kaufman Center for Enrollment

The David L. Kaufman Center for Enrollment’s makeover is nearly finished. The Welcome Center is complete, and teams are currently working on the Outreach Office and the Work & Learn area. Having the entire enrollment team under one roof will streamline student recruitment efforts and allow the Malbon Center for Technology to better utilize the space they have in Pruden Hall.

The Center is named after longtime Board member and friend David Kaufman, a Virginia Beach businessman. He served as Board Chair from 2016 to 2019.

Sheaks and Britton Galleries

Construction was completed this week on the new Barclay Sheaks Gallery in Hofheimer Library. The new gallery is much larger than the previous space and provides greater security and access. During the next couple of weeks, paintings will be placed in their new home and then available to the public in the extended hours of the library.

Established in 1999, the Barclay Sheaks Gallery is named after nationally renowned painter and founder of the Art Department at Virginia Wesleyan University, Barclay Sheaks. Sheaks is best known for his acrylic paintings of waterfront scenes, wetlands, farmlands and people of the Chesapeake Bay.

His "work is eloquent testimony to how perseverance and diligence combine with creativity and inspiration to create lasting objects," notes Joyce Howell, Professor of Art History. As an artist and teacher, Sheaks had a profound and lasting effect not only on the arts community but on the many students he inspired and mentored.

The Barclay Sheaks Gallery is now located in the Henry Clay Hofheimer II Library adjacent to the Neil Britton Gallery and features a rotating exhibit of works by Sheaks from the University's permanent collection.

The 1,200 square-foot Neil Britton Gallery in Hofheimer Library opened in 2009 and is committed to engaging both the Coastal Virginia and University communities in the visual arts. Changing exhibitions and programs include the work of both professional artists and students.

Construction Progressing on DeFord Manor

Works crews are completing the foundation and are framing the first floor of DeFord Manor. Construction is expected to be completed by the end of November or early December.

Named in honor of longtime Trustees and benefactors Bob and Nancy DeFord, the 7,700-square foot house is designed with extensive indoor and outdoor entertainment areas on the ground level and the president's private residence on the second floor. It will be located on the west side of Smith Drive across from the Susan S. Goode Fine and Performing Arts Center and will face north toward Wesleyan Drive.

VWU is the only four-year institution in Hampton Roads—and one of the only private colleges in Virginia—without an on-campus president's residence.

Michael Schnekser of Tymoff + Moss Architects of Norfolk serves as the principal architect. Mike Gaddy of Gaddy Engineering Services, LLC., is the site planner. Hoy Construction of Norfolk will serve as the general contractor. Chesapeake Bay Contractors, owned and operated by Bill Shelhorse '70, will complete the site work.

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REFLECTIONS

I hope you find these links useful to my recent columns and publications:

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