Monday, April 03, 2017

Lori Messinger, UNCW associate vice chancellor for community engagement, has been awarded a fellowship for the 2017-18 academic year by the American Council on Education. Messinger is one of 46 fellows, nominated by the senior administration of their respective institutions, selected following a rigorous application process.

For the past century, ACE has provided leadership on key higher education issues to nearly 1,800 institutions across the nation. ACE fellows are placed at another higher education institution for an entire academic year to observe and work alongside the president and other senior officers. They return to their home institutions armed with new knowledge and skills to address the most pressing concerns. Nearly 80 percent of fellows go on to serve as senior leaders of colleges and universities.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I know Lori will fully embrace,” said Marilyn Sheerer, UNCW Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. “She will return to UNCW equipped with insights and new abilities to help us grow strategically.”

An award-winning teacher, Messinger previously served as the director of the UNCW School of Social Work, where she also holds a teaching post. She was recognized by WILMA Magazine as the 2014 Woman to Watch in Education.

“I am eager to spend time with senior leaders, studying their approaches to university leadership. It will be instructive to experience the university from their perspectives - the good, the bad and the ugly,” said Messinger.

Prior to UNCW, Messinger served as associate professor and director of the BSW program at the University of Kansas School of Social Welfare. She has also held faculty positions at the University of Alabama and North Carolina State University. She holds a bachelor’s in philosophy from Douglass College at Rutgers University, a master’s in political science from Rutgers University and an M.S.W. and Ph.D. in social work from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. 

During Messinger’s absence, Kristen Brogdon will be serving as interim AVC for community engagement, in addition to her role as director of the arts.

- Caroline Cropp

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