Dialogue: Nota Bene: Weekly Update

October 7, 2024

Good morning,

What a weekend!

We had a tremendous turnout for Homecoming and Family Weekend. We couldn’t have asked for better weather for the return of our beloved traditions like the Athletic Hall of the Fame, FinFest, the annual golf outing, alumni games, and more. We're so proud to have dedicated G. Robert Aston Jr. Hall at Chespaeake Bay Academy, the Tassos Paphites Soccer Complex, and the Jim Zullinger '70 Salt Kiln in Susan T. Beverly Hall during this special celebration. I thank all the alumni, parents, students, faculty, staff, and friends for joining us!

For more on all the weekend’s fun, read more and view the photo gallery.

The changing of the leaves and the return of cooler weather signal that Fall Break (October 14-15) is right around the corner. It’s hard to believe that we are heading into the back half of the semester already.

To our on-campus Marlins, I wish you the best of luck on your midterm exams. For VWU Online Marlins, best wishes on your final exams and congratulations on finishing Fall Term 1. To all of our campus community, keep up the great work!

ET CETERA

Virginia Wesleyan has been chosen as the host for the 2028 Division III Men's and Women's Indoor Track and Field Championships. We look forward to working with the City of Virginia Beach and the Virginia Beach Sports Center to host this incredible championship.

Bidding for all of the NCAA championships began in September 2023 and more than 1,200 bid applications were ultimately submitted. Each sports committee, per division, selected the host sites it believed would provide the ultimate experience for the respective student-athletes, resulting in more than 240 total championship event sites being awarded. Read more.

Our thanks to CompleteU, a higher education recruitment and retention service, for funding a major upgrade of VWU’s Esports Arena. The upgrade includes the purchase of new Lenovo Legion T5 gaming computers, each paired with 27-inch Legion monitors, along with high-performance gaming keyboards, mice, and headsets.

What’s more, a gift from Kellam Mechanical is funding the expansion of our gaming lineup. Thanks to their support, Super Smash Brothers will now be added as the sixth game in which the Marlin Esports team competes. Our thanks to Sarah ‘92 and Scott Kellam for their generosity. Read more.

AROUND TOWN AND ACROSS CAMPUS

Cybersecurity Awareness Month

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month. It’s a time for us to reflect on our collective responsibility in preventing security threats. The theme for this year is "Recipe for Cybersecurity.” Throughout the month, the Malbon Center for Technology will be sharing a variety of tips and resources to help you stay safe and secure, whether at work or home. Learn more.

VWU Celebrates National Hispanic Heritage Month: September 15-October 15

Virginia Wesleyan is celebrating this Hispanic Heritage Month with a variety of special programming from the Off the Hook, the Latino Student Alliance, Wesleyan Engaged, and Sodexo Dining Services. See the full schedule of events here.

Avery Belisle ’27 Selected for 2024 WACA Student Scholars Program and National Conference

Second-year student and Batten Honors College Scholar Avery Belisle has been selected to participate in the World Affairs Council’s 2024 Student Scholars Program and National Conference on November 19-22 in Washington, DC. Selected from the largest number of applicants in the program’s history, she will join students from 90 communities to engage with top government officials, diplomats, business executives, innovators, journalists, educators, and students on the most pressing global issues and policies. Read more.

Distinguished Visitor from PH Heidelberg

Last week, we were pleased to host Prof. Dr. Karin Vogt from Pädagogische Hochschule Heidelberg University of Education for lunch at DeFord Manor. VWU has had a wonderful relationship with PH Heidelberg for many years. As a student abroad partner, VWU students can study German language, literature, history, and civilization in Heidelberg, Germany.

We were joined by Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Susan Larkin, Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs Loren Marquez, Associate Professor of Education Bill McConnell, Assistant to the President Anja Serby-Wilkens, and Director of Global Engagement Brooke Novkovic ’18.

Internships at Work

I enjoyed visiting with Batten Honors College scholar Clarissa Thurston ’27 at her internship site at Virginia Beach Economic Development in Virginia Beach Town Center. We’re pictured with her internship supervisor Paige Fox, Business Development Manager at VBED.

Do We Need a New Word for Homecoming?

I am happy to share my most recent column for the Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press. It examines the concept of Homecoming and how it takes on a deeper meaning for the Marlin community, where so many of our graduates are either from Coastal Virginia or choose to remain after graduation. Instead, Homecoming at VWU is about celebrating the lifelong connection that we have been actively fostering for more than 60 years between our school, our graduates, and the community we all share. Read more.

Hampton Roads Chamber Meeting

We had a productive discussion of regional workforce development needs at the Hampton Roads Chamber-Virginia Beach monthly Board meeting. With Laura Chalk, Executive Director of Virginia Beach Vision; Andy Stephenson, Chair of HRC-VB Board; Paige Fox of Virginia Beach Economic Development; and Justin Saunders, Vice President of HRC.

If This Ground Could Talk: A Tour of VWU’s Unrecognized Sacred Spaces

Join the Robert Nusbaum Center on Thursday, October 10 for a walking tour of VWU’s unrecognized sacred spaces. Professors Kathy Stolley, Craig Wansink, and others will share the hidden stories behind our campus landmarks—from the role of newly freed slaves to the secret message at the John Wesley statue. Tours begin at noon and 1:30 p.m. in front of Monumental Chapel/Beazley Recital Hall. Learn more.

A Visit with Dr. Alfred Abuhamad

We thoroughly enjoyed hosting Alfred Abuhamad, M.D., Executive Vice President for Health Sciences at ODU, at Deford Manor with Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs Loren Marquez. Prior to the merger, Dr. Abuhamad was president of Eastern Virginia Medical School.

VWU Global Campus Team Meeting

I stopped by to visit with the staff of VWU Global Campus. Vice President Deirdre Gonsalves-Jackson leads a growing program that is impactful throughout the world. Some recent successes of VWU Global Campus include the Jane P. Batten and David R. Black School for International Studies, the 50 States Initiative, and new talent development courses, which began last week.

Athletics Management Council Meeting

It was great to host the first meeting of the Athletics Management Council for this academic year last week. The group includes Andrea Hoover-Erbig, Athletic Director; Dr. Jill Sturts, Faculty Athletics Representative and Associate Professor of Sport and Recreation Professions; and student representatives Julia Hathaway ’26 (women’s track and field) and Everett McCloskey ’25 (men’s soccer).

VMOCA Boardwalk Art Show

Our partners at the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art hosted the iconic Boardwalk Art Show this week. Today, I had the opportunity to tour the exhibits and visit with: V-MOCA leadership including Alison Byrne (Executive Director), Susan Cohen (Vice Chair), and Bruce Berlin (Chair); Sean Kane, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts On The Road Coordinator; and exhibiting his artwork— Mark Butts, VWU ‘79. We are excited for V-MOCA to move into a brand new building on our campus in late 2025.

Wetlands at Risk

A recent analysis by NASA and Norfolk-based nonprofit Wetlands Watch estimates a 78% decline in Virginia’s tidal wetlands by the end of the century, largely due to rising sea levels. Even if we take action, we will still lose about half of that by 2100.

As you know, Virginia Wesleyan University is a leader in the movement to create a more environmentally-sustainable society, evidenced by our Environmental Guiding Principles. And our Environmental Studies major prepares students for a variety of careers in such diverse fields as law, public policy, scientific research, environmental literature, and teaching. I encourage everyone to do what they can to save this valuable coastal resource. Learn more.

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