March 6, 2023
Good morning, |
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Big congratulations to senior Geni Roberts (pictured left) who became a four-time champion in the long and triple jump and Field Athlete of the Meet at the ODAC Championship. In the long jump, Geni won with a 7.13m mark. He jumped a distance of 15.05m in the triple jump, shattering his previous personal best and school record of 14.92m set earlier in the season. Many will recall that Geni finished second in the nation in both the men’s long jump and men’s triple jump in the 2021-2022 seasons.
Senior Terrian Smith (pictured right) took first place in the men’s high jump. Terrian’s jump of 1.96m set a new school record, while first-year student Ja'Marri Henderson (pictured center) won the men’s 60m hurdles with a time of 8.54. Ja’Marri’s top finish continued the Marlins' success in the men's 60m hurdles as Landry Moffo ‘22 won the event the previous four years. Congratulations, Terrian and Ja’Marri!
The VWU men's track & field team finished fourth overall while the women's track & field team finished sixth. Norah Ciano finished second in the women’s high jump, setting a new VWU record and personal record with a jump of 1.61m. Congratulations, Norah!
We are delighted with the tremendous success of these student-athletes and wish them the best as they continue into the postseason. Go, Marlins! |
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In case you missed all the traffic, President Joe Biden was in town last week. I was honored to be invited to attend his event at Kempsville Recreation Center, where he discussed affordable healthcare.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, then-Senator Biden and I collaborated for 10 years on the Biden Youth Leadership Conference, offered every year on campus of my former institution.
My thanks to our friend Andy Stephenson of Sentara Healthcare for snapping the picture of me with the president. |
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Virginia Wesleyan University has formally accepted an invitation to join the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC). The ECAC is an 80-year-old organization with more than 200 institutions that compete at the NCAA Division I, II and III levels, mostly in the Mid-Atlantic and New England states.
The ECAC will serve as a secondary membership for VWU, which remains a member of the NCAA Division III Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC). Most of the ECAC’s members also belong to another conference, which is often the school’s primary conference.
Joining the ECAC will provide additional postseason selections for VWU athletic programs that are postseason worthy, but don't qualify for the NCAA Division III regional or national tournaments. The conference will also provide additional honors for Marlin athletes through player of the week accolades and all-ECAC postseason teams.
For VWU Esports, joining ECAC means not only competing in National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE) sanctioned events and tournaments, but also ECAC Esports Conference ones as well. The ECAC runs two esports seasons (fall and spring) in which VWU will compete in the following game titles: Rocket League, Overwatch, League of Legends, and Fortnite. With live, in-person events and conference championships, the ECAC is leading the way in collegiate esports, and we are excited to be a part of this prestigious organization. |
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AROUND TOWN AND ACROSS CAMPUS |
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Celebrating Women’s History Month During the month of March, in celebration of Women's History Month and International Women's Day on Wednesday (March 8), a special series of speakers and events have been organized by a variety of campus offices. Learn more and make plans to attend upcoming campus events. |
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Spring Career, Internship, and Volunteer Fair Alice Jones has made a significant impact in her first year as director of career development. I encourage students to jump-start their careers by attending the spring fair on Thursday, March 9, from 12-2:30 p.m. in the CMAC, hosted by The Lighthouse: Center for Exploration and Discovery. |
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VWU Signs IEN’s Sustainable Retirement Plan Pledge VWU has become a signatory on the Intentional Endowments Network’s Sustainable Retirement Plan pledge. The pledge asks that VWU advocate with our multi-employor retirement plan to establish “a range of sustainable investing retirement fund options that consider environmental, social, and governance factors, consistent with the goals of reducing risk, protecting capital, and enhancing financial returns.” I’ll keep you posted on our progress in this area.
Op-Ed: Doubling Pell Grant Would Help More Students Pursue College Degrees |
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A Post-Session Town Hall with State Senator Aaron Rouse I attended a great post-session Town Hall with State Senator Aaron Rouse at The Hive in Virginia Beach last week. Aaron and I are pictured with VWU student Acasia White, who is an intern at The Hive.
Connecting TowneBank Park Our community partner TelCon is wrapping up their work of supplying fiber optic data connections to Kenneth R. Perry and Tom & Betty Broyles Fields at TowneBank Park. This will provide enhanced broadcasting capabilities and viewing experience for baseball and softball action. Our thanks again to Carmen Spinoso for his generosity in making this project a reality. |
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World Cultural Festival: Hampton Roads World Culture Festival (WCF) is a global event series that aims to build a more compassionate and harmonious society by bringing the people of the world together in celebration. Leading up to the main event, VWU hosted the “World Cultural Festival Curtain Raiser” back in October at the Goode Center. The local world cultural festival will be held on March 25 at the Virginia Beach Convention Center in partnership with the Robert Nusbaum Center of VWU. Learn more here. |
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2022 State of the Bay The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) released its 2022 State of the Bay Report and video last week. There is still plenty of work to be done to Save the Bay as the biennial evaluation graded the Bay and its watershed at a D+, unchanged from the 2020 score. |
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United Methodist Now: Pivoting from What Was to the New In a special video address, Bishop Thomas J. Bickerton, president of the Council of Bishops, calls on all United Methodists to “reclaim, revive and renew” the church throughout the world. Bishop Bickerton and I are longtime friends and college classmates (pictured right at the presidents/bishops meeting in 2020). Watch the special State of the Church video here. |
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The Hive Newsletter: March 2023 Our friends at The Hive in Virginia Beach Town Center deliver updates and news for our region’s businesses. VWU and Tidewater Community College Virginia Beach are the educational partners at The Hive. |
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President to President: Beyond Buzzwords The eighth chapter of the 2022-2023 President to President thought leadership series is available online today. In " Unprecedented," Northern Virginia Community College President Anne M. Kress, Ph.D., examines the real-world impacts behind a buzzword that became ubiquitous as the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded. She delves into the far-reaching and serious challenges college students faced, many of which were always present but only fully came to light during the pandemic. She also explores how colleges can address those issues by providing the right guidance, assistance, and resources.
In this year's President to President series, titled “ The Well Campus: An In-Depth Look,” leading college and university presidents offer details on how they support the many facets of wellness in higher education. Each chapter features a new perspective on ensuring students’ overall well-being, which incorporates elements of physical, mental, social, and emotional health. I hope you find value in the ideas these higher education leaders share and recognize opportunities to apply their insights on your own campus. |
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Spring Break is so close, Marlins! Stay focused now so you can enjoy your much-deserved time off later. 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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