We are pleased to announce new leadership in the Department of ITFSE and welcome new staff to the Watson College of Education:
Amy Moody assumed the role of chair of the Department of Instructional Technology, Foundations and Secondary Education in January. Dr. Moody joined the faculty at UNCW in 2008. She is a professor of early childhood special education, director of the Center for Assistive Technology, a member of the STEM Learning Cooperative and STEM SENC, a nationally-recognized autism expert and recipient of the 2018 UNCW Chancellor’s Teaching Excellence Award. She has served as interim chair of the Department of ITFSE since September 2022.
Keith WestcottKeith Westcott assumed the role of Assistant Dean for Administration and Resource Management at WCE in January, bringing a wealth of experience and expertise to his new position.
In his capacity, Keith oversees the Business Office Team, responsible for numerous administrative functions, including financial, human resources, facility, and event management activities for WCE. He collaborates closely with the college leadership team, providing essential data analysis and insights to support informed decision-making.
Prior to joining WCE, Keith served as a Senior Business Officer within Academic Affairs at UNCW, where he played a pivotal role in providing strategic accounting guidance to the Associate Provosts for Student Engagement, Enrollment, and Retention, as well as the Graduate, Continuing, and Lifelong Education department. His responsibilities included overseeing financial and personnel aspects, coupled with the development of internal policies contributing to the efficient functioning of these units.
Keith brings to WCE extensive knowledge in budget development, financial reporting, finance, resource management, and strategic planning. As an esteemed alumnus of UNCW, he holds both his BS and MS Accounting degrees from the Cameron School of Business and is a Certified Public Accountant, further solidifying his qualifications for this role.
Jodi HebertJodi Hebert has joined the PDS team as an instructional coach with the North Carolina New Teacher Support Program. Jodi has been an educator for 22 years and has spent most of her time teaching in elementary classrooms. Most recently, she served as Operations Coordinator and Liaison at D.C. Virgo Preparatory Academy. Jodi enjoys spending time with her family, yoga, and doing crafty little projects.
Trang Le joined Watson's Office of Engagement, Professional Learning, and Scholarship last November as the Executive Assistant to the Associate Dean. Her unwavering passion and commitment to education have empowered her seven-year career journey in various roles within the field. She previously led the operational team at Amy.app, and worked as the Industry Engagement and Internship Coordinator at RMIT University, where she facilitated employment and collaboration opportunities between RMIT and the industries. Trang holds an MBA from Chinese Culture University in Taiwan and received the 2018 Distinguished Service Award at RMIT for her contributions. She relocated from Vietnam to the U.S. last year. She enjoys travel, photography, and exploring diverse cuisines.
Ellis Pressley-Whitman Ellis Pressley-Whitman joined the staff in the WCE Business Office in October in a temporary capacity and accepted a full-time position in December. He comes from a family of entrepreneurs and has a strong background in business. He moved to California for college as a professional baseball prospect and continued his growth in business by working in the restaurant industry. He quickly became one of the youngest General Managers in Los Angeles. His passion for food and business led him to Dallas, where he opened multiple restaurants and met his wife. Due to the impact of Covid-19 on the restaurant industry, he and his wife decided to shut down their pizza place and move to Wilmington. After a year of exploring the city, they decided to make it their permanent home. When Ellis isn't working, you can find him cruising down to Wrightsville Beach on his electric bike and trying out the best restaurants in town. He's a big foodie, and he loves nothing more than chatting about which restaurants are worth visiting and which ones to skip.
Liz joins MarineQuest as the Overnight Programs Coordinator. She started working for MarineQuest in 2013 and has worked in many temporary positions for the University over the past ten years, including as an adjunct professor for the EVS department after finishing her master's degree from the same. Originally from Illinois, she was inspired as a young girl by Chicago's Shedd Aquarium to pursue marine science education as a career. Outside of work, Liz can be found volunteering with dog rescues and training her own dogs in running agility courses.
Shawn Sproatt is the new Executive Assistant for WCE’s Office of Academic Affairs, Program Support, and Student Success (APS). Shawn joined the Watson College in July 2023 as an Administrative Associate, and quickly proved herself to be to be a self-starter, efficiently tackling challenges and tasks across the four units of APS. Originally from Beaufort, SC, Shawn graduated from College of Charleston with a BA in Theater. She moved to Wilmington in March 2014 and is excited to join the UNCW family after working as an administrative assistant in the office of a heating and cooling company. She is very active in the local theater community, and previously served as President of the Board of Directors for the theater company Big Dawg Productions. In her free time, she enjoys reading, writing, acting in and attending plays, and hanging out with her dog, Daisy.
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