April 30, 2025
Dear UNCW Community:
April has been a month of remarkable achievements and inspiring events for our university. From academic excellence and athletic victories to community engagement and artistic showcases, UNCW continues to shine brightly. During the 24 hours of Seahawks Give, our campus community united to support this great institution. Thank you for making this giving day unforgettable and helping us soar past 1,900 donors. A gift, no matter the size, demonstrates belief in UNCW, our mission and our students.
UNCW junior Hannah Altman soared to the 2025 CAA Women's Golf Individual Championship and earned an individual entry into the 2025 NCAA Division I Women's Golf Regional. UNCW swimmer Dave Fitch was named CAA Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Fitch, who is pursuing a master's degree in business analytics, has helped the men's swimming and diving program to four straight conference championships.
Esports at UNCW has taken home its second championship. The UNCW Valorant Team won the National Esports Collegiate Conference Division IV Championship with a finals victory over the University of Alabama. The team, which won its first division championship in December, now has been competing since in a special bracket against champions from all divisions of both the fall and spring semesters.
UNCW held its 2025 Research Achievement Awards in recognition of significant contributions to advancing knowledge, discoveries with broad societal impact, and the meaningful engagement of students in the research process. The honorees include five individual recipients of the Rising Research Excellence Award: G. Edzordzi Agbozo (English), Sarah Gaby (Sociology and Criminology), E. Britt Moore (Environmental Sciences), Menaka Raguparan (Sociology and Criminology) and Bradley Tolar (Biology and Marine Biology). A team of three also earned the Research Collaboration Award for their interdisciplinary research on genetically modifying corals for survival: Nathan Crowe (History), Nicole Fogarty (Biology and Marine Biology) and Jacob Warner (Biology and Marine Biology).
I was proud to host the Honorable Aldona Woś, M.D., for the Spring 2025 Chancellor’s Dare to Learn Lecture. Dr. Woś’ remarkable personal and professional journey has led to great contributions both on the world political stage and in our state. A member of the UNCW Board of Trustees, she has also served as ambassador to the Republic of Estonia and as North Carolina’s Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, among many other roles. She is a strong example of our university mission, as she has strived to learn and support the learning of others throughout her life.
That mission was recognized by the UNC Association of Student Governments when UNCW was named Delegation of the Year at its annual meeting. Christine Reed Davis, vice chancellor for student affairs, was awarded the John L. Sanders Student Advocate Award, and Barrett Butler, UNCW student body vice president, was elected as senior vice president of the association.
I had the honor of welcoming the Wilmington community to Kenan House, where we hosted the Azalea Festival’s traditional kickoff garden party. Basketball coaches Takayo Siddle and Nicole Woods led the parade as this year’s grand marshals. UNCW is happy to play an active role in the community, both in celebration and in service. Campus Life held a special two-day Teal Takeover at the Food Bank of Central & Eastern NC where Seahawk volunteers packaged food and helped clients.
I also enjoyed an evening performance of the World Ballet Company’s The Great Gatsby at our own Kenan Auditorium. Our campus is hosting wonderful showcases of student talent this spring, as well. UNC-WOOP opera performing Strauss’ Die Fledermaus, UNCW choirs singing Handel’s Messiah, the UNCW Big Band and Cape Fear Jazz Society Scholarship Concert, and the Spring 2025 Senior Exhibition in the Cultural Arts Building Art Gallery are just a few of the highlights.
As these events underscore the semester’s end, please join me in looking forward to Spring Commencement. As always, I am excited to see how our Seahawks soar into their futures!
Yours in Seahawk spirit,
Aswani K. Volety
Chancellor
