August 7, 2023
Good morning, |
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I’m proud to share that Dr. Angela Mercer has been elected to the Virginia Wesleyan University Board of Trustees. Dr. Mercer is a retired physician who has served Coastal Virginia for more than three decades. A graduate of Swarthmore College and the Medical College of Virginia, Dr. Mercer completed her residency in Internal Medicine at Harlem Hospital and a fellowship in Critical Care Medicine at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center before returning to Coastal Virginia to work in private practice. Additionally, she continues to serve as an Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine at Eastern Virginia Medical School where she also mentors medical students from minority populations.
Dr. Mercer has been married to Reginald Corinaldi for 46 years and has three grown children, one of whom (Kadija) is a graduate of Virginia Wesleyan. While Kadija was attending VWU, Dr. Mercer participated in the Parents Council, demonstrating her active engagement and investment in the University from the onset. Kadija currently serves on the VWU Alumni Council.
Over the years, Dr. Mercer’s community service has included participation on the board of directors for the Governor’s Advisory Board for Emergency Medical Services, EdMarc Hospice for Children, The United Way of South Hampton Roads, Women United of the United Way, The Greater Norfolk Medical Society of South Hampton Roads, and Unity Church of Tidewater.
Her professional acumen, commitment to the community, and dedication to VWU will be of great benefit to the university in her new role as Virginia Wesleyan University Trustee. |
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As previously shared, our Founders Day convocation ceremony, featuring keynote speaker Leighton Clarke Krips and the presentation of the annual Alumni Awards, will be held on Thursday, September 7 at 11 a.m.
In addition to the Alumni Award winners we’ve already announced – Michael R. Rawls ‘91 (Distinguished Alumnus Award), Marie I. Nicolo ‘96 (Alumni Service Award), and Nicholas G. Hipple ‘18 (Graduate of the Last Decade Award) – we’re delighted to honor Brandon Elliott ‘03 with the 2023 Outstanding Service to Alma Mater Award.
Brandon has been the Head Softball Coach since 2007, leading our squad to three NCAA Division III National Championships and nine Old Dominion Athletic Conference Championships among many, many other accolades. Off the field, Brandon helps coordinate Athletics’ fundraising efforts, elevating the entire department in terms of support and outcomes. Congratulations, Brandon!
Again, I hope you join us as we celebrate our roots, honor those who shaped our history, and embrace the exciting future ahead on Founders Day. |
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We are excited to announce the kick-off of our Fins Up Club, the official kids club of VWU Athletics (ages 13 years old and under).
Join the Fins Up Club with only a $25 donation to the Marlin Athletic Fund. Club membership includes: - An official Fins Up Club t-shirt
- Three Marlin Athlete Meet & Greets
- Game day experiences during Homecoming & Family Weekend and Spring Alumni Weekend
- Monthly drawings to win lunch with a coach and a player
- A birthday shoutout from our mascot, Bob Marlin
- Free admission to regular season VWU athletic events for Fins Up Club members and their families
Members who join before September 1, 2023 will be entered in a drawing to be a ball kid at a select Men's or Women's home soccer match this fall!
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AROUND TOWN AND ACROSS CAMPUS |
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Catching Up with Alumna Jaclyn Ruelle It was great visiting with Jaclyn Ruelle '04, Vice President and Head of Brand, at the Papa Johns Headquarters in Atlanta. She gave me a tour of the new facility, which is in The Battery, adjacent to Truist Park. We’re pictured in the official test kitchen. |
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A Visit from City Council Member Amelia Ross-Hammond We were delighted to show Virginia Beach City Council member Amelia Ross-Hammond our talent development center in Clarke Hall. While we were there, we ran into Alice Jones, Director of Career Development, and Bethany Tsiaras, Director of Civic Engagement and Service Learning. After the tour, we had lunch at DeFord Manor with Dr. David R. Black, Executive-in-Residence. |
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VWU Hosts German Sustainability Scholar As part of our ongoing partnership with Heidelberg University of Education, VWU hosted Dr. Alexander Siegmund for a two-day campus visit, meeting with science faculty to discuss common research and possibilities for international partnerships, scholarly projects, and student exchanges. He also engaged with our partners at the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center to meet with educational outreach staff, as well as the Brock Environmental Center and the Norfolk Botanical Garden to see how sustainability is being addressed with the public here in the States. To cap off his visit, Dr. Siegmund spoke with some of our aspiring teachers and education faculty about how Germany teaches ESD in its K-12 schools. Learn more. |
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Third Annual Awareness Walk & Memory Chalk Join the Office of Counseling & Student Health on Friday, September 8 at 3:00 p.m. in the Harbor Grill for a message about suicide prevention, a community walk across campus to raise awareness, opportunity to write messages of support and memory in front of the Hofheimer Library, and learn about support services. |
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Graduate Spotlight: Meg Puckett ’04 Meg serves as Herd Manager for the Corolla Wild Horse Fund at the forefront of conservation efforts. These wild horses of the Outer Banks of North Carolina, sometimes known as the Banker horses, have a storied past. Learn more. |
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“President to President” Celebrates 20 Years Twenty years ago, I began my tenure as co-executive editor of a transformative initiative to provide a platform for intellectual exchange among college and university presidents. Every year since, the "President to President" thought series has offered deep insights into a wide range of topics centered on leadership, innovation, and the challenges faced by higher education institutions. Sponsored by Sodexo, a leading global services company, the series’ unique format features individual chapters, written by esteemed college and university presidents, distributed electronically each month throughout the academic year. Learn more. |
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Norfolk Forum: 2023-24 Season The Batten Honors College is a sponsor of the Norfolk Forum, the nation’s oldest publicly-subscribed speakers’ forum, and I am proud to serve as a board member for the organization. As such, we share the promotional video for their 2023-24 series featuring Roy Williams, Colson Whitehead, Amanda Knox, and Liz Cheney. |
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Wesleyan Wednesday: This Week at TASTE-Bayville Farms Join us on Wednesday from 5-7 p.m. on the lawn of TASTE-Bayville Farms for live music and great food. We hope to see you there!
2023 State of the University The 2023 State of the University Address will take place on August 18 at noon, which immediately follows our annual luncheon. We look forward to welcoming our Trustees, faculty, staff, and many friends to recap our previous academic year and look ahead to the next academic year. The State of the University will be livestreamed on the VWU Digital Broadcasting Network for students, alumni, and friends of the University. |
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Make Plans to Come Home: October 6-7 Our Homecoming and Family Weekend celebration will take place on campus on October 6 and 7. Make your plans to join us for collegiate and alumni games, our annual picnic, and much more! |
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Athletic Hall of Fame Please save the date for our 2023 Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony during Homecoming and Family Weekend on Saturday, October 7. Details and registration for this wonderful event celebrating the best of VWU Athletics will be forthcoming. |
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The Hive: August 2023 Newsletter 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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It's great to have some students back on campus. Can't wait to see more in the coming weeks!
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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