5 minute read
FROM THE CHANCELLOR
Produced by the Office of University Relations
EDITOR
Advertisement
Jennifer Glatt
ART DIRECTOR
Shirl New
DESIGN
Kyle Prey
PHOTOGRAPHY Jeff Janowski
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Joe Browning Caroline Cropp ’99, ’06M Venita Jenkins Christina Schechtman Tricia Vance
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Bradley Pearce
CONTRIBUTING DESIGNER
Thomas Cone
CLASS NOTES
Caroline Cropp ’99, ’06M Division for University Advancement
WITH SPECIAL THANKS TO
UNCW Athletics
EDITORIAL ADVISORS
Missy A. Kennedy ’01 Eddie Stuart ’05M
BUSINESS MANAGER
Kelly Baker
EDITOR EMERITA
Marybeth Bianchi
UNCW Magazine is published for alumni and friends of the university by the Office of University Relations, University of North Carolina Wilmington, 601 S. College Rd., Wilmington, North Carolina 28403. Correspondence may be directed to uncwmagazine@uncw.edu.
UNC Wilmington is committed to and will provide equal educational and employment opportunity. Questions regarding program access may be directed to the Compliance Officer, UNCW Chancellor’s Office, 910.962.3000, Fax 910.962.3483. UNCW does not discriminate on the basis of sex. Questions regarding UNCW’s Title IX compliance should be directed to TitleIX@UNCW.edu. 93,500 copies of this public document were printed at a cost of $42,921 or $0.459 per copy (G.S. 143-170.1). Printed by Hickory Printing Solutions, an RRD Company.
DEAR SEAHAWK COMMUNITY,
Our campus and our country, not to mention our entire world, are being reshaped by tumultuous times and compelling concerns. The coronavirus pandemic, combined with the public health, societal, political and economic inequities it emphasized, is requiring all of us to take a comprehensive look at finding solutions to significant challenges. UNCW is involved in these efforts on many levels, from reopening campus to research and community engagement. One of our most important campus initiatives in the year ahead will focus on diversity, inclusion, equity and systemic racism. Our institution must do more to support Black students, recruit and retain Black faculty and staff, and educate our campus community about the devastating effects of centuries of discrimination in the U.S.
To help our campus successfully navigate the fall semester and the years ahead, UNCW welcomed James J. Winebrake as our new Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. Dr. Winebrake, who replaces Dr. Marilyn Sheerer, has already played an important role in guiding our academic enterprise through uncharted waters. He has been working closely with our staff in Academic Affairs and the Planning Team organizing our return to campus.
To support the university’s ongoing growth despite the pandemic, we hope to maintain UNCW’s philanthropic momentum. Many alumni and friends, as well as students, faculty, staff and community partners, have generously supported the university in recent years, and we hope to continue inspiring your investment in our future. Creating globally minded citizens is at the core of our mission, and private gifts help us deliver on our commitment. As we continue to make our future brighter than the past, we thank all of our donors who have partnered with us in this pursuit.
Finally, I want to conclude with our tribute to legendary Vice Chancellor Pat Leonard, who passed away peacefully on June 2, 2020. With 37 years of service to UNCW, she embodied the university’s deep commitment to students, and her presence on our campus enhanced the UNCW experience for generations of Seahawks. We proudly reflect on “VCPL” and her legacy in our cover story.
With best regards,
Jose V. Sartarelli Chancellor
PHOTO CREDIT: ELIZABETH LAMARK
Until recently, when James J. Winebrake wanted to be alone with his thoughts, he sought nature’s peace at a nearby stream, fly rod in hand. Now, he looks forward to a similar kind of tranquility casting his line and lures in the surf. He is happy to trade another staple of life in upstate New York, an ice scraper, for sunglasses year-round. The other thing he never leaves home without is an optimistic outlook, and he promises that will not change.
He will tap into that upbeat approach at “a critical and exciting point in UNCW’s trajectory.” The university was reclassified as a doctoral-level university with high research activity in 2018, and Winebrake is eager to help boost support for faculty, staff and student research while maintaining UNCW’s commitment to teaching excellence.
“I think about my leadership style as being collaborative, and I tend to thrive in a team environment,” said Winebrake, who goes by “Jamie.” “I try to be the best listener I can be, and I am continually learning from the people I work with. I am happiest in my career when I have seen others – faculty, staff and especially students – succeed.”
He is excited about the university’s new coastal engineering bachelor’s degree program, the first of its kind in the country, and he sees extensive opportunities for cross-disciplinary collaboration, building upon interdisciplinary research already taking place at UNCW.
“One of my passions is figuring out way to integrate different disciplines to solve challenging problems,” said Winebrake. “Problems are not technical alone and may require a mix of disciplines that at first may not seem to be natural partners – liberal arts, sciences, technology, business and professional fields. New collaborations offer an opportunity to create new knowledge and benefit the community at large.”
Winebrake comes to UNCW from the Rochester Institute of Technology, where he served as Dean of the College of Liberal Arts for nine years. He holds a Ph.D. in energy management and policy from the University of Pennsylvania, an M.S. in technology and policy from M.I.T., and a bachelor’s degree in physics from Lafayette College in his native Pennsylvania. His scholarly research about the environmental impacts of transportation has been recognized internationally.
“I fell in love with the idea of being an academic when I was an undergraduate,” Winebrake explained. “It stemmed from important relationships with a couple of faculty members at Lafayette College. What drives me is the student experience and being part of an institution that is dedicated to the education of young people.” – Tricia Vance JAMES J. WINEBRAKE Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
Strategic Shifts
Applied learning is a pillar of the UNCW student experience. To best reflect and support that, the Office of Applied Learning was integrated into the Office of Community Engagement and Applied Learning, effective July 1. Jeanine Mingé, the associate vice chancellor for community engagement, is now the associate vice chancellor for community engagement and applied learning.
The reorganization continues the positive work accomplished in undergraduate studies and applied learning and is guided by the university’s commitment to the long-held belief: “Highimpact practices and engaged learning at UNCW is not what we do,” said Minge, “it is who we are.”
– Caroline Cropp ’99, ’06M
