WATSON COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
In May, 236 students earned degrees from the Watson College of Education, including 122 enrolled in graduate-level programs. The Watson College held a reception for graduates and their families on May 13, the evening before the official commencement ceremony in Trask Coliseum. Earlier in the week, a reception was held to honor WCE’s six new Ed.D. graduates. more...
The Watson College is pleased to announce that Kevin McClure has been named WCE’s Wendy and Dell Murphy Distinguished Scholar. McClure, an associate professor of Higher Education in the Department of Educational Leadership, will focus his work on examining pandemic-era workplace conditions and experiences of faculty, staff, and administrators at public higher education institutions in North Carolina. The three-year appointment was approved by the UNCW Board of Trustees and awarded in April. more...
Donyell Roseboro is the recipient of the 2022 John L. Sanders Student Advocate Award, the highest honor bestowed by the University of North Carolina Association of Student Governments. Dr. Roseboro is UNCW’s chief diversity officer and a professor in the Department of Instructional Technology, Foundations and Secondary Education at the Watson College. more...
“Partnerships for Success in a Changing World” was the theme of the third annual UNCW/3C Challenging the Paradigm conference, held April 7-8 at the Watson College. Stelfanie Williams, Vice President for Durham and Community Affairs at Duke University and Scott Ralls, President of Wake Technical Community College were featured speakers at the event. Sixty higher education leaders from across the state participated in the conference. more...
Sixty STEM educators from across the state gathered at the Watson College for the NC Science Leadership Association’s Spring 2022 Summit on May 7. Highlights of the event included presentations by Kathie Dello, NC’s State Climatologist and Ashley Lomboy, founder of the Waccamaw Siouan STEM studio. Attendees also took field trips to Fort Fisher State Recreation Area and Carolina Beach State Park. more...
The Watson College introduced a Master of Arts in Teaching in Art Education program in Summer 2021. The program is designed for individuals who hold a bachelor’s degree in art or a related field and would like to teach art at public schools. The first cohort of six students graduated in May. more...
Elizabeth Crawford is leading North Carolina’s first cohort of Girl Rising Educators. Girl Rising is a global non-profit organization that uses the power of storytelling to change the way the world values girls and their education. Six teachers in three counties are participating in the inaugural cohort. Their work will be showcased at an exhibit in Randall Library this summer. more...
Amy Taylor and Dennis Kubasko recently shared their Coastal Eco Explorer mobile app with OLLI members. During two presentations in April, the WCE faculty members discussed their island ecology class, and work with Dr. Lucas Layman to develop the app. Following each presentation, Taylor, Kubasko and CBSP Superintendent Chris Helms went hiking with the retired community members. more...
The Watson College was pleased to sponsor a screening of the feature-length documentary “Captain Scott B and the Great Adventure” in April. The screening, held in UNCW’s Lumina Theater, was followed by a Q&A with writer and co-producer Betsy Bertram. Bertram is a student in WCE’s Elementary Education extension program. more...
The Watson College of Education is pleased to announce that five $5,000 Hattie M. Strong scholarships were awarded to WCE interns for the spring 2022 semester. Please join us in congratulating Jeffrey Bell, Tori Daughtridge, Ariel Hines, Elise Snell and Alissa Tarzia. more...
As the semester came to a close, the Watson College bid a fond farewell to highly valued faculty and staff members including Bill Sterrett, Sue Kezios, Jeanne Swafford, Janna Robertson, Wilson Okello, Allen Lynn, Colleen Opalka, Candace Blanke and Emily Sobul. Please join us in wishing them all the best as they move on to retirement or new opportunities. more...
Carol McNulty has been appointed associate provost for undergraduate education and faculty affairs at UNCW. Candace Thompson has been appointed interim associate dean for WCE’s Office of EPLS, and Vance Durrington has been appointed interim chair of ITFSE. The Watson College is pleased to share these stories and other faculty, staff and alumni news. more...
In January, The Watson College PDS Office launched an Educators of Color Network to provide opportunities for educators in Watson’s 12-district PDS system to work together to recruit and retain teachers of color. More than 120 educators are participating in the EOC Network. Join them! The next meeting is June 23 from 11 a.m. to 2 pm at the Watson College of Education. Registration is open. more...
The Watson College is partnering with OIDI, the Native, Aboriginal & Indigenous Coalition (NAIC), and the Indigenous Student Affairs Network (ISAN) to host the 2022 National Institute for Native Leadership in Higher Education (NINLHE) summer institute. The event will be held on the UNCW campus in July. more...
On May 19, Watson hosted a Grants Workshop, led by the Engagement, Professional Learning, and Scholarship (EPLS) team and supported by university leaders and the Sponsored Programs and Research Compliance Team (SPARC). The workshop featured IGNITE sessions, and updates on grant support provided by various groups across campus. more...
Twenty-one students enrolled in Georgie Bramley’s EDN 414 course performed a live Reader’s Theater Performance of “The Great Kapok Tree” for second graders at College Park Elementary School on April 25. The performance, which included elements of drama and music, was held in conjunction with Earth Day. more...
Two Watson College graduates and four students who graduated with a minor in Leadership Studies are recipients of the 2022 Pat Leonard Senior Medallion Award, the most prestigious award presented by the Division of Student Affairs on behalf of the university community. Please join us in congratulating Tori Daughtridge, Karen Metcalf, Payton Day, Kolby Edwards, Robert Fensom and Jessica Scudella! more...
The Watson College is pleased to share a We Are UNCW profile featuring Victoria Spagnoli ’14M, ’22 Ed.D. Spagnoli earned her doctorate in Educational Leadership from the Watson College in May. She is currently assistant principal at Burgaw Middle School. The story was part of a special collection of We Are UNCW Class of 2022 profiles shared on the UNCW home page in May. more...
Alexis Smith ’21, ’22M earned a bachelor’s degree in marine science in 2021 and a Master of Arts in Teaching in Secondary Education this spring. After graduating in May, she traveled to Homer, Alaska, where she will soon begin her career as a science educator for The Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies. more...
Eden Bennett ’22 graduated in May with a degree in history and a certificate in esports performance and management. Soon, she will begin a new job as a member of Lenovo’s Worldwide ThinkPad Launch Team, becoming one of the first graduates of UNCW’s esports program to pursue a career in the growing esports and gaming industry. more...
Sixty-one students graduated from Isaac Bear Early College High School in May, including 18 who will return to continue their undergraduate studies at UNCW in the fall. The Watson College is pleased to share photos from graduation, and other IBECHS news and updates. more...
WCE’s latest cohort of 10 Master Teachers were recognized at the PDS Partnership Teacher Celebration on May 3. Master Teachers commit to a three-year term during which they participate in professional development, partner with WCE faculty to implement programs in their classrooms, schools or the broader professional community, and mentor beginning teachers. more...
More than 160 partnership teachers, student interns and faculty attended a dinner hosted by WCE’s PDS office on May 3. The event is held each semester to celebrate the college’s collaborative work with partnership schools, teachers and interns. Amanda Matthews, a kindergarten teacher at Cape Fear Elementary School, was recognized as WCE’s spring 2022 Roy E. Harkin Award recipient at the event. more...
On April 27, recipients of STEM SENC’s Education Mini-Grants were recognized at a celebration at the Watson College. The mini-grant awards were presented earlier this year to 14 teachers in Brunswick, Columbus, Duplin, New Hanover, Onslow, Pender and Scotland Counties to support the implementation of innovative STEM programs for students. more...
On April 6, the Watson College held a Future Teacher Conference for high school and community college students considering a career in teaching. The full-day conference featured workshops and presentations by WCE faculty and staff, and a panel discussion with Watson Student Leaders. Sixty students from 15 area schools participated in the event. more...
WCE’s STEM Learning Cooperative developed STEM kits for K-8 students this spring as part of the North Carolina Science Festival. The kits contained culturally relevant STEM books and materials, with lesson plans and video instructions adapted for students with disabilities. A total of 555 STEM kits were distributed to schools in 14 counties in April. more...
This spring, youth from seven area elementary and middle schools and 10 out of school programs participated in a new JUST US program designed to teach the skill of empathy through the creation of tissue paper quilts. WCE professor Janna Robertson developed the curriculum. The project culminated with a presentation by award-winning artist Maya Freelon and an exhibition of the students’ art. The event was held at the Watson College on May 1. more...
For over 40 years UNCW MarineQuest, in conjunction with the Center for Marine Science and the Watson College of Education, has provided exciting academic enrichment opportunities for young people interested in the marine environment. Summerbegin in June! Jr. Seahawk Academy will offer an educational enrichment program for middle-grade students in July. more...
The Watson College held a reception for graduates and their families on May 13, the evening before WCE’s official commencement ceremony in Trask Coliseum. The event, held in the atrium of the Education Building, featured great food and a photo booth for students and families. more...
WCE held a celebration on May 11 to honor 2022 Ed.D. graduates Kimberley Crutcher, Stefanie Norris, Christie Poteet, Victoria Spagnoli, Kimberley Thompson-Hairston and Michael Wilhelm. Chancellor Sartarelli, Provost Jamie Winebrake and Graduate School Dean Chris Finelli joined Dean Van Dempsey, Ed Leadership Department Chair Andrew Ryder, WCE faculty and graduates at the event. more...
