WATSON COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
Following Hurricane Florence, UNCW’s MarineQuest partnered with Engineering Expectations to design a new hurricane science and engineering curriculum for students in grades 4-12. The program, offered free of charge to schools impacted by the storm, has been introduced at eight schools engaging 325 students to date. MarineQuest will bring the program to an additional 24 schools in December and January. more...
UNCW is a lead institution for the new Future Teachers of North Carolina program. The UNC System Office in collaboration with NC DPI has brought three universities together with 18 teachers statewide to pilot FTNC during the 2018-19 academic year. WCE has also introduced a Future Teachers Career Academy at Isaac Bear Early College High School in partnership with New Hanover County Schools. more...
UNCW’s MarineQuest has received $262,206 in a matched grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to continue marine debris education programs first introduced in 2015 with Watson the Whale. The new grant will fund Turtle Trash Collectors, a project that focuses on sea turtles as the key species to engage elementary students in marine debris prevention. more...
The Watson College has introduced a new five-year bachelor’s/master’s degree program in secondary education. Students enrolled in mathematics, science, history or English programs at UNCW who are interested in teaching at the high school level are eligibly to apply. WCE will also introduce a Coaching and Mentoring Certificate program in Fall 2019. more...
The Watson College is pleased to share news from higher education doctoral students and alumni. Jake Eubank ’17 Ed.D. is an assistant professor at Lehman College in New York; Leah Frierson is assistant dean of academic advising at UNC-Chapel Hill; Kara Ostlund is assistant dean of students at the University of Wisconsin La Crosse; and Sara Thorndike is vice chancellor for administration and finance at East Carolina University more...
Nicole Geczi, executive assistant in WCE’s Office of Teacher Education and Outreach, has been awarded the 2018 UNCW Staff Award for Excellence. A record 28 UNCW staff members were nominated for the award, including WCE staff members Kerri Fowler, Melissa Newcity and Jan Siko. Geczi and other nominees were recognized at a ceremony at UNCW’s Burney Center on November 15. more...
The University of North Carolina Wilmington was named the 5th most innovative public university in the South by U.S. News & World Report in September, tying with Georgia College & State University. UNCW is also ranked 5th in 2019’s list of the Best Online Colleges in America and 5th among peer institutions in number of students studying abroad. more...
Alyssa Briggs, director of STEM Learning Ecosystems facilitated the inaugural meeting of STEM SENC partners, held Nov. 2 at UNCW. STEM SENC was formed in 2018 to expand STEM learning opportunities for students in Southeastern North Carolina. Members of UNCW’s STEM Learning Cooperative represented STEM SENC at an international conference held Nov. 14-16 in Newport Beach, California. more...
NC’s 2018 Teacher of the Year Freebird McKinney was keynote speaker at WCE’s Beginning Teacher Conference Day on Nov. 2. NC Regional TOYs Julie Pittman (Western) and Lindsey Sise (Sandhills), New Hanover County TOY Christy Howe and Brunswick County TOY Claire Herrington joined McKinney for a panel discussion at the event. more...
Stop by Mayfaire this holiday season! Students at 14 area schools including D.C. Virgo have created holiday window displays for the stores. Art teacher Carolynn Phillips coordinated the project at Virgo, where students in grades K-8 designed displays for seven stores with help from UNCW student, faculty and staff volunteers. The students’ holiday displays will be available for viewing through Dec. 31. more...
Congratulations to Bill Sterrett, recipient of UNCW’s 2018 Graduate Mentor Award! The Watson College is pleased to share this story and other faculty, staff, student and alumni news. more...
A full-day STEM Education conference will be held at the Watson College on Jan. 4, 2019. The annual event, hosted by CESTEM, is designed for PK-12 administrators and teachers. Registration will open in December. more...
Catch up with faculty and fellow alums at the third annual homecoming champagne brunch on Feb. 2. The event will feature great food, informational displays and hands-on activities for kids of all ages. Registration opens in December. more...
Somer Lewis, Amy Garrett Dikkers and Lynn Sikma are guest editors of a peer-reviewed themed issue of the NAPDS Journal School-University Partnerships. The issue titled “Furthering the Education Profession: Partnerships in Action” was published in September. more...
An Op-ed on school violence authored by Robert Smith was published in the Star-News on Nov. 18. Smith is the Wendy and Dell Murphy Distinguished Professor in Education at the Watson College. more...
The Watson College is currently accepting nominations for the 2019 Razor Walker awards, given annually to recognize and celebrate people whose work enhances the lives of children, families and communities in North Carolina. Written nominations will be accepted through December 14. more...
UNCW’s Alpha Alpha Pi Chapter of Kappa Delta Pi welcomed 81 new members this fall. KDP is an international honor society dedicated to scholarship and excellence in education. more...
WCE Principal Fellow Justin Fischetti was a principal intern at D.C. Virgo this fall, and 21 Watson students participated in field placements coordinated by Jessica Swencki, Jim Stocker and Brian Brinkley. Virgo students and families attended the Step Afrika! performance at UNCW on Oct. 18. The school also fielded middle school football and basketball teams. more...
Watson Student Leaders held a panel discussion with local teachers on November 19. They also elected new officers, welcomed new members and volunteered at recruitment events for the Watson College. more...
Thirty-five teachers are participating in a National Teacher Certification program offered by the Watson College in partnership with Clinton City Schools. WCE assistant PDS director Jenn Knight and Juandalynn Ray, teacher advancement coordinator for Clinton City Schools, are coordinating the yearlong program. more...
This fall, teachers and students in North Carolina – and as far away as Illinois - stepped up to help area teachers, students and schools recover from Hurricane Florence. The Watson College is pleased to share three wonderful stories of schools helping schools. more...
MarineQuest Summer 2019 applications are now open. Explore their programs and apply today! more...
Fifty-five students from four area high schools participated in a Future Teacher Conference at the Watson College on Oct. 30. The event, held each semester, gives high school juniors and seniors an opportunity to learn more about the teaching profession and programs offered by the Watson College. more...
Families from around the region gathered at the Watson College on Nov. 3 to engineer solutions to ghost nets, fishing nets that have been lost or abandoned at sea. MarineQuest offered the Engineering Competition as part of their Ghost (net) Busters program, funded through the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. more...
WCE professor Janna Robertson has served as art club teacher at Wilmington Early College High School since 2013. In November, five students she has mentored since freshman year - Harry Antoniades, Robby Carl, Sarah Miller, Jessie Robertson and Holly Woodcock - showcased their work in a “Thirteenth Grade” exhibit at the Art in Bloom Gallery in Wilmington. more...
The Watson College welcomed students back to campus in October with a new campaign, #WatsonStrong. The initiative was designed to encourage faculty, staff and students to support each other and the community in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence. more...
On October 17, Dean Van Dempsey, Somer Lewis and Marsha Carr welcomed Bob Garvey to a breakfast and discussion with WCE’s Leadership Team. Garvey is an internationally acclaimed expert in mentoring and coaching. more...
The Watson College was a sponsor of the American Heart Association’s 2019 Cape Fear Heart Walk. Robert Smith and Brian Brinkley led a team of Watson Walkers at the event, held October 27 on the UNCW campus. more...
