May 24, 2021
Good morning, |
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Our two-time national championship softball team won regionals this weekend at Tom and Betty Broyles Field at TowneBank Park. The Marlins will play for another national title later this week at Moyer Park in Salem, Virginia. My heartfelt congratulations to the entire team and coaching staff for incredible play this weekend and throughout the season.
Kudos to Jessica Goldyn and Hanna Hull for their top tournament honors. A special shout out to Coach Brandon Elliott '05 on his 500th career game win on Saturday. What a special team and a special weekend playing at home. Go, Marlins!
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Congratulations to the 112 students on the President’s List who achieved a 4.0 grade point average and to the 283 students on the Dean’s List who achieved a 3.5-3.99 grade point average for the spring semester. A commendable accomplishment, especially given the challenges presented by the pandemic. Well done! To qualify for these honors, students must have full-time status and have taken at least nine semester hours of traditionally-graded courses. These individuals demonstrate a remarkable level of dedication to their academic pursuits. Congratulations to all of these students! |
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Monday, May 31 is Memorial Day and the two-year anniversary of the horrific tragedy at the Virginia Beach Municipal Center where 12 people lost their lives and four were injured. One of the victims included VWU’s own Robert “Bobby” Williams, Class of 1975.
In the fall of 2019, we dedicated the Robert T. Williams ’75 Trail at Wesleyan Woods in his memory, serving as a place to gain peace, find understanding, and connect with the best our campus has to offer. I invite those on campus to walk this trail this week in remembrance of Bobby, his 11 colleagues, and all those we commemorate on Memorial Day.
We continue to keep the Williams family close to our hearts. |
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After announcing the new VWU/Norfolk Botanical Garden Horticulturist last week, we were disappointed to learn that the position was not filled as expected. But all things happen for a reason...
I am excited to share that Skyler Lattuca, VWU Class of 2021, is now the new VWU/Norfolk Botanical Garden Horticulturist. He began last week, and it was great to see him back on campus so soon after graduation. In this position, Skyler will be responsible for the health of the nearly 24,000 native plants, inspired by the ecosystems of the Eastern Shore, at the Greer Environmental Sciences Center. The position works closely with students to give them hands-on experience in horticulture, botany, and environmental stewardship.
Again, I thank Marisa Cousin for her fine work in this position for the last two years and offer my congratulations to Skyler as he returns to campus in this new role. |
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Last week, the State Council for Higher Education in Virginia (SCHEV) invited me to present during the Private Colleges Presidents meeting on VWU’s success regarding access and diversity initiatives. In my remarks, I discussed our recruitment, enrollment, and retention efforts to all students, regardless of their financial status, to help make a private liberal arts education affordable and accessible. These initiatives include the Work & Learn program, the Batten Honors College, WesBridge and the fourth consecutive year of freezing tuition. Additionally, the University offers academic and co-curricular programs that promote diversity of thought, race, religion, and more through the Africana Studies minor, the Robert Nusbaum Center, and our partnerships with the Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities (on campus) and the Liberal Arts Colleges Racial Equity Leadership Alliance (LACRELA).
VWU is proud of its distinction as a U.S. News and World Report top 25 liberal arts university for diversity and social mobility. We will continue to do our part to make higher education accessible and affordable for all. |
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AROUND TOWN AND ACROSS CAMPUS |
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Michael Sumbillo’s Obituary and Funeral Information VWU continues to mourn the loss of Officer Michael Sumbillo. His obituary and funeral information can be found here. His family remains in our prayers. |
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Introducing Campus757 to Virginia Beach Vision and the Hampton Roads Chamber Throughout the last year, I have mentioned Campus757—an ongoing project with the Hampton Roads Workforce Council and several local colleges and universities. Campus757 aims to showcase the 757 as a “college town” to help recruit top students and then expand the local talent pool by offering internships and services that would keep these students in the area after graduation. |
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I had the pleasure of joining Shawn Avery and Maegan Barnes, key players for Campus757, during presentations about the program to Virginia Beach Vision and the Hampton Roads Chamber. These organizations will be paramount to Campus757’s goal of offering meaningful internships, externships, and careers to students as they pursue their degrees and graduate from member institutions.
For more information on how VWU students can get involved, please email Jessica Harrington, Director of Career Development, at jharrington@vwu.edu. |
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Inside Business Interview with Trustee Howard Kern VWU Trustee Howard Kern, President and CEO of Sentara Healthcare, discusses the threats, challenges and resulting innovations generated by the pandemic in this Inside Business special report. |
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Coastal 61 at Oxford Village Coastal 61 at Oxford Village continues to be at capacity. Learn more about the 244 luxury apartments at coastal61.com.
Students are reminded of VWU’s housing policy and are not to seek residence there without prior approval from the University. To request more information about on-campus and off-campus living, please email reslife@vwu.edu. |
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DeFord Manor Update After a delayed start, DeFord Manor is on-schedule and going up quickly. The facility will soon be a beautiful site to welcome Marlins and guests as they enter the west side of campus. |
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STAY CURRENT ON VWU NEWS AND FEATURES |
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I hope you find these links useful to my recent columns and publications: |
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I hope you have a safe and relaxing holiday weekend.
Sincerely, |
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-- Scott D. Miller, Ph.D. President Virginia Wesleyan University 5817 Wesleyan Drive Virginia Beach, VA 23455 Phone: 757.455.3215 |
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