Congrats to Kaddy Hamilton '85!

Congratulations to WC Carpenter Floor Coverings on its Gold Award for work in the recently renovated Boyd Dining Center. WC Carpenter is owned and operated by alumna Kaddy Hamilton, Class of 1985. Well done!

Excelsis: Summer 2021

The summer 2021 edition of Excelsis, a publication of the Batten Honors College of Virginia Wesleyan University, is now available online. The latest issue includes the following features written by and about the University's Batten scholars. Read the summer 2021 issue of Excelsis.

The Batten Honors College inspires, engages, and prepares academically talented students to become leaders, environmental stewards, and impactful citizens in the global community.

VWU Joins New American Colleges and Universities

Virginia Wesleyan University has joined a select group of institutions as a part of the New American Colleges and Universities. Founded in 1995, the NAC&U is a consortium made up of like-minded independent colleges and universities that work to create partnerships and collaborations which enrich faculty work and improve student outcomes. Read more here: https://www.vwu.edu/about/news-and-events/features/story/vwu-joins-new-american-colleges-and-universities

Spring 2021 President's and Dean's List Announced

Congratulations to our 112 students on the Spring 2021 President's List and and 283 students on Spring 2021 Dean's List. Way to go, Marlins! 

Marlin Nation Orientation

The Virginia Wesleyan University journey began for our newest class of Marlins on June 21 during Marlin Nation Orientation. First-year students and their families participated in sessions designed to prepare them for life on campus this fall. There will be additional sessions of Marlin Nation Orientation on June 25, June 28, and July 2. It is wonderful to have such an event offered in person once again as we welcome these students to the Marlin family.

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A Visit from Delegate Nancy Guy

I was delighted to welcome Delegate Nancy Guy from Virginia's 83rd District to campus. Nancy has been a great friend to VWU and was instrumental in increasing VTAG for Virginia families earlier this year. In addition to student financial aid, we discussed environmental and workforce development issues.

Nota Bene: Weekly Update

June 21, 2021 Good morning,

The Induction of the 13th Class of the Virginia Wesleyan University Athletic Hall of Fame will take place in-person on Saturday, October 2 at 9:00 a.m. The event has been rescheduled to ensure an in-person celebration, so I open this week’s update with a reminder about the final date. We are excited to offer this event during Homecoming and Family Weekend and know it will be worth the wait. The 13th Class includes benefactors Joan P. Brock H’10 and Tassos J. Paphites ‘79, along with Executive Director for Intercollegiate Athletics Emerita Joanne Renn and three former Marlin athletics greats, John “Jack” E. Lingo III ‘01, Brandon M. Massie ‘11 and Adam L. Nycz ‘12. Learn more about our new inductees here.   Ticket information will be forthcoming. In the meantime, mark your calendars and make your plans to join us for this event and the entire Homecoming and Family Weekend on October 1-3.

ET CETERA

I am pleased to share some personnel updates: Anja Serby-Wilkens (pictured below, left) will join the Office of the President as Administrative Assistant to the President, effective June 24. Anja comes to the Office of the President after spending several years as the Administrative Assistant to the Vice President for Enrollment. She has a German vocational degree as an industrial business management assistant and over 20 years of office administration experience. She arrived at Virginia Wesleyan in May 2014 as a Student Services Specialist (Adult Studies Program) and joined the Enrollment Office in January 2016 as the Data Input Manager. She was named Administrative Assistant to the Vice President for Enrollment in May 2016. Originally from Bietigheim-Bissingen, Germany, Anja lives in Norfolk with her husband Gary, who is an Associate Professor and Department Chair at Norfolk State University, and their cats Peat and Finnegan.  Anja replaces Jodi Chaler who has been with the University since 2013 and the Office of the President since 2015. Malleri “Mal” Santiago (pictured below, middle left) has been promoted to replace Anja as the Administrative Assistant to the Vice President for Enrollment. Congratulations to Anja and Mal on their new roles, and best wishes to Jodi. I thank her for her many years of service to me and the University. Congratulations, also, to April Christman ’14 (pictured below, middle right) who has been promoted to become Director of Student Health, effective July 1. She has most recently served as Executive Assistant to the Vice President for Campus Life and Operational Management and Coordinator of Student Health. Previously, she was Executive Assistant to the Vice President for Academic Affairs. She will be replaced by Kayleigh Poggioli (pictured below, right) who will be joining the Virginia Wesleyan family as the new Assistant to the Vice President for Campus Life. Kayleigh graduated with her M.S.Ed. in Higher Education from Old Dominion University and her bachelor’s degree from Radford University. Congratulations April, and welcome Kayleigh!

Jim Cooper, our Vice President for Finance and Administration the last four years, has resigned to take a similar position at Cabrini University near his home in Philadelphia, effective in mid-July.  A search for a new Vice President for Finance has started. In the meantime, Sylvia Schelly, Associate Vice President for Finance, will serve as the Interim Vice President for Finance.   Jim has been an important part of our transformation during his four years here, and I thank him for his friendship and outstanding service to the University.

AROUND TOWN AND ACROSS CAMPUS

Make Your Annual Gift by June 30 In a year that has created difficult circumstances for many, it is critically important that Virginia Wesleyan University raise money to support the future of our students. Your gift will be a direct investment in programs that open doors of opportunity for students such as student leadership, lifelong learning, and engaged citizenship. Make your tax-deductible gift by midnight on June 30 to offer students the opportunity to take their learning beyond the walls of VWU.    A special thank you to those who have already made their fiscal year gift. View The Excellence Fund Honor Roll of Donors here.

Trustee Emeritus George Birdsong Visits On Friday, we were happy to welcome our good friend and Trustee Emeritus George Birdsong to campus. George and his family have been tremendous stewards and supporters of VWU since its founding in 1960. Birdsong Hall, Birdsong Field, Sue Benton Birdsong Entrance Gate, Birdsong Presidential Suite (in Godwin Hall), the Birdsong Community Service Endowment, and Birdsong Scholarship are among the many campus commemorations of his family and their support. During his visit, we walked the grounds of campus, and George commented that the campus looked the best he’d ever seen. I thank all of our staff members, our friends at Aramark, and our Opus student workers who take pride in making this campus beautiful every day. Your hard work does not go unnoticed.  George is the CEO and General Counsel for the Birdsong Corporation of Suffolk, the largest peanut sheller in the United States.

Congratulations to our National Softball Coaching Staff of the Year The Virginia Wesleyan Softball coaching staff was recognized as the Division III Coaching Staff of the Year by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA). Congratulations to Head Coach Brandon Elliott '03 and his outstanding team - Jim Quinn, Chris Smith, Mary Pilkington '16, and Bobby Wills. This is well deserved!

Welcome Chaplain Kotosha Griffin We’re pleased to officially welcome Rev. Kotosha Griffin next week to the role of Chaplain of VWU and Pastor of Heritage United Methodist Church. Our new partnership with Heritage, located on the east side of our campus adjacent to VWU TowneBank Park, will open many opportunities for students pursuing careers in the ministry and also a variety of service learning programs.

“Leaders on Leadership” Podcast Available Now I was honored to join the latest podcast episode of “Leaders on Leadership with Jay Lemons.” The podcast has been developed by Academic Search and the American Academic Leadership Institute who together support colleges and universities during times of transition and through leadership development activities that serve current and future generations of institutional leaders.

East Gate is Open Once Again Members of the VWU community with approved security access cards are now able to use the East Gate to campus (located on Baker Road), which was closed during the pandemic. Constructed and opened in 2018, East Gate provides restricted access and exit to and from Baker Road. Security utilizes East Gate to alleviate campus traffic “stress” during large crowd events in the Jane P. Batten Student Center and the outdoor athletic complex. Access to utilize East Gate is restricted to those faculty and staff members with valid access cards. Please see the security office for more details.

Trails at Wesleyan Woods Expanded We are pleased to offer a new Norfolk pathway to the Trails at Wesleyan Woods. The new trail, nearly a mile in length, starts on Norfolk Lane (leading to Facilities Management) on the west side of campus, which is the only portion of VWU situated in the City of Norfolk. The trail has been cleared and is open for pedestrian access. The path leads to the fence adjacent to I-64 and loops past Lake Taylor. Feel free to explore!

Welcome Back, Camp Red Feather! Now in its 16th year, YMCA Camp Red Feather kicks off its 2021 summer camp season with record camper numbers. Over 400 youth from Coastal Virginia will be on campus this week participating in the first session of the YMCA's premiere youth day camp. With its headquarters on campus in the Frank Blocker Youth Center, YMCA Camp Red Feather exposes youth ages 5 to 17 with their natural surroundings, unplugging them from the digital world. Campers participate in arts and crafts and archery, canoe on Lake Taylor, climb the 55-foot Alpine Tower, and explore Virginia Beach and beyond. Virginia Wesleyan's 300 acre park-like settings makes our campus the perfect setting for this long time partnership. We again welcome our friends from the YMCA of South Hampton Roads to campus for another exciting summer.

STAY CURRENT ON VWU NEWS AND FEATURES

Features News Briefs VWU Athletics The Wesleyan Review  VWU Alumni News  The Arts at VWU  Virginia Wesleyan University Magazine  The Pharos

REFLECTIONS

I hope you find these links useful to my recent columns and publications: University Business  Enrollment Manager  President to President Archives

CONNECT WITH ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Twitter: @vawesleyanprez  Facebook: @ScottDMillerprez Instagram: @prezscottmiller  LinkedIn: Scott D. Miller, Ph.D.  Flickr: Scott D. Miller  Dialogue: prezscottmiller.blogspot.com  (Be sure to subscribe to Dialogue for daily updates via email)

Have a great week! Sincerely,

-- Scott D. Miller, Ph.D. President Virginia Wesleyan University 5817 Wesleyan Drive Virginia Beach, VA 23455   Phone: 757.455.3215 Email: president@vwu.edu Web:  www.vwu.edu/president  Blog: prezscottmiller.blogspot.com

VWU Celebrates Juneteenth

 

Trustee Emeritus George Birdsong Visits Campus

It was great to welcome Trustee Emeritus George Birdsong back to campus for a visit. I thank George and his family for their longtime stewardship and support of Virginia Wesleyan, including Birdsong Hall, Birdsong Field, Sue Benton Birdsong Entrance Gate, the Birdsong Community Service Endowment, the Birdsong Scholarship, and many other contributions since the inception of this university. 

VWU Softball Named National Coaching Staff of the Year

The honors and accolades continue for VWU Softball. Congratulations to Brandon Elliott, Jim Quinn, Chris Smith, Mary Pilkington, and Bobby Wills...this is well deserved! Read more: https://vwuathletics.com/news/2021/6/14/softball-elliott-and-co-named-nfca-division-iii-national-coaching-staff-of-the-year.aspx

VWU Alumni eNews

 

Give Now Class Notes Volunteer 2021 Alumni Awards Announced Virginia Wesleyan University President Scott D. Miller has announced the 2021 Alumni Awards recipients, an honor the VWU Alumni Council bestows upon graduates in recognition of outstanding professional and personal accomplishments. The 2021 Alumni Awards will be celebrated as part of the University’s Founders Day on Thursday, September 9.   Congratulations to the following alumni on this well-deserved distinction that recognizes their many accomplishments since graduation: Distinguished Alumnus Award William S.Shelhorse ’70 Co-founder and President, Chesapeake Bay Contractors Virginia Beach, VA   Alumni Service Award Vanessa Thaxton-Ward ’83, Ph.D. Director, Hampton University Museum and Archives Hampton, Virginia   Graduate of the Last Decade (GOLD) Award Tiffany Boyle ’14 Commissioner of the Revenue, City of Newport News Newport News, Virginia   Read more about these outstanding alumni, the awards, and past recipients. Campus News Virginia Wesleyan Offering No-Cost Online Courses Professional development courses offered in partnership with Virginia Beach Department of Economic Development. More Summer Session 2021: On Campus or Online Next sessions start July 6, with on-campus, remote and online options. More Get Involved University Alumni and Corporate Partners We'd like to offer our support by promoting alumni and corporate partners to the Marlin family and the greater community. We hope that this will help to provide the sustainability that these businesses need as we all continue to face the new challenges each day brings. Fill out our form to submit your business for promotion. Recommend a Future Marlin Students whom you refer and enroll will receive a $1,000 annual grant applicable to tuition. Their award will be renewable through four years of study, assuming satisfactory academic progress toward their degree. The award will be bestowed in your name, in recognition of your contribution to the enrollment process. Save the Date The More Marlins, the Merrier! Register Wesleyan Wednesday: Summer Edition August 25, 2021 from 5 - 7 p.m. Ballyhoos - 2865 Lynnhaven Drive Everyone's favorite summer gathering is back! Come together and enjoy appetizers on us with local alumni, family and friends at Ballyhoos in Virginia Beach on August 25th! *Registration is encouraged, but not required. 2021 Homecoming & Family Weekend October 1 - 3, 2021 Join us for the 2021 Homecoming & Family Weekend! We look forward to welcoming alumni, family, and friends back to campus this fall! VWU Alumni & Friends New York City Tour April 28 - May 1, 2022 Save the date to join VWU Alumni & Friends in New York City featuring a special performance at Carnegie Hall with the Virginia Wesleyan singers. More Give this Father's Day Simply go to smile.amazon.com and enter your Amazon log-in and password information. Pick “Virginia Wesleyan University” for your organization and 0.5% of all your purchases will support VWU. To keep the campus community healthy and safe, VWU alumni and guests are not permitted on campus until further notice. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding. Give Now  ‌  ‌  ‌  ‌ Update Info