Aug. 29, 2025
Dear UNCW Community,
The energy on campus is unmistakable as a new academic year begins at UNCW. With a strong estimated enrollment of 19,500, including about 3,600 graduate students, the university is alive with enthusiasm and possibility. Thanks to the efforts of our current students, faculty and staff as volunteers, the annual Move-In provided a warm welcome for new students. Adding to the UNCWelcome series of events, we launched a spirited new tradition with HawkFest, featuring carnival games and rides, live entertainment and a drone show that lit up the sky.
More from Move-In
We’re proud to offer all students, employees and campus visitors top-notch dining options. The hard work of the innovative and creative team behind UNCW Dining was honored with awards for both retail concept and nutrition. UNCW earned silver medals in the Retail Sales: Single Concept of the Year category of the 2025 Loyal E. Horton Dining Awards and in the Special Diet Program of the Year category of the 2025 Nutrition Awards. Both recognize excellence in dining programs at colleges and universities across the country.
Incoming students join a community committed to scholarship, research and public engagement. The collaborative research initiative TEAL-SHIPS was able to provide valuable information about Hurricane Erin while on its most recent research expedition. Operating in a part of the Atlantic Ocean rarely visited by research vessels provided a unique opportunity for the UNCW-led initiative to collect data that allowed for real-time adjustments of computer models that forecast the path and strength of a hurricane or tropical storm.
Many UNCW researchers are focused on driving such locally relevant and globally important projects. Peng Gao, associate professor in the Department of Earth and Ocean Sciences at UNCW, is one of 19 global experts contributing to an article in the international journal Nature, outlining how forest-based climate solutions can be more effective.
The UNCW Board of Trustees convened for its quarterly meetings this summer with four new board members. Karen King ’94 was appointed by the North Carolina Senate and Carrie B. Shields ’04 by the North Carolina House. New Hanover County Commissioner Dane Scalise and City of Wilmington Councilman Luke Waddell Sr. were appointed by the UNC System Board of Governors. I welcome them to their new roles advocating for UNCW and contributing toward the university’s strategic priorities. Hugh Caison ’85 was elected chair of the Board of Trustees along with the Honorable Aldona Woś, M.D., as vice chair and Jeffrey D. Clark ’85 as secretary.
UNCW continues to soar to new heights as the university community rises to meet evolving goals and expectations. While awaiting state budget approval, we as Seahawks prepare to step confidently into the next chapter that another fall represents. We remain committed to meeting the expectations of our region, state and nation, joining together to navigate emerging opportunities. I’m excited for the Seahawk family to begin another chapter of learning, growth and connection with a fresh fall semester!
Yours in Seahawk spirit,
Aswani K. Volety
Chancellor
