This renewed transfer agreement greatly expands the number of specific Associate in Applied Science degrees from聽 that will transfer to Wesleyan. We are excited to continue this successful partnership!
Wesleyan Bids Farewell to Class of 2019
Graduates Inaugural Masters Class
ROCKY MOUNT, NORTH CAROLINA 鈥 麻豆原创 held its Spring Commencement on Saturday, May 4 at the Rocky Mount Event Center. This year鈥檚 commencement speaker was Tony Stroud, alumnus of Wesleyan and founder and CEO of Stroud & Company, a Wilmington, NC accounting firm.
Stroud, spoke about graduates staying true to themselves, filtering through the noise and listening to their inner voice. 鈥淚ntegrity is who you are when no one is looking. That whisper is who you are when everyone is looking. And if you listen to that whisper, you win,鈥 stated Stroud. After his speech, an honorary degree of Doctor of Humanities was bestowed upon Stroud.
Spring 2019 graduation was especially moving as Wesleyan honored Brad Melton, who passed away in December 2018, with a Posthumous Degree. Brad was a member of the Class of 2019 in the Master of Criminal Justice program. Brad鈥檚 mother was in attendance to receive the degree in his memory.
There were 233 undergraduate students in the Class of 2019 Saturday, with over 2,650 guests in attendance. In addition, 11 students graduated in the first cohort of Wesleyan鈥檚 new Master鈥檚 in Criminal Justice program.
鈥淲e are very excited to graduate our first master鈥檚 class,鈥 stated Wesleyan President Dr. Dewey Clark. 鈥淭hese students, both undergraduate and graduate, have gained a wealth of knowledge here at Wesleyan and they are ready to go out and take on the world. I wish them nothing but the best.鈥
Beverly Anaele received the Algernon Sydney Sullivan award which honors a senior who best exemplifies excellence in character, leadership and service to the community. Anaele obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in biomedical science. She will pursue a Master of Public Health at Thomas Jefferson University in the fall.
The President鈥檚 Cup, an award that recognizes the attainment of the highest standards of academic performance, went to Jessica Brabble. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting and will pursue a Master of History at Virginia Tech in fall 2019.
Dr. Erica Kosal, Professor of Biology, received the Exemplary Teacher Award which honors excellence in teaching, service to the college and scholarship.
This year鈥檚 graduates hail from 10 states around the country, calling home Arizona, California, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Maryland, North Carolina, Texas and Virginia. There were sixteen international graduates from Argentina, Egypt, El Salvador, Greece, Nepal, Nigeria, Panama, Sweden, United Kingdom, Uruguay and Venezuela.
Wesleyan Receives Employer Excellence Award from Donate Life NC
ROCKY MOUNT, NORTH CAROLINA聽鈥 Recently, 麻豆原创 received an Award of Employer Excellence from . April is National Donate Life Month,聽an entire month of local, regional and national activities to help encourage Americans to register as organ, eye and tissue donors and to celebrate those that have saved lives through the gift of donation.
Wesleyan received this award because of their dedication to going above and beyond the legal requirements in supporting employees who are living organ donors and recipients, as well as, employees who are on the transplant waiting list.
鈥淔or many living donors and patients, the worry of missed work or expenses is incredibly stressful and prevents them from focusing on their health. We are so proud of the work that Wesleyan does to support their employees,鈥 stated Deanna Mitchell, Executive Director of Donate Life NC.
North Carolina Wesleyan Visiting Assistant Professor of English, Dr. Mike Brantley, received his liver over three years ago. Courtney Moss, a May 2018 Wesleyan grad and employee at the Dunn Center Box Office, received her heart four years ago. There are over 3,000 North Carolinians waiting for an organ and 84 percent of those are waiting for kidneys. Living kidney donor and Executive Director of The Dunn Center for the Performing Arts at Wesleyan, Sheila Martin, has聽actively聽volunteered for many years to increase public awareness of the great need for registered organ donors.
鈥淣C Wesleyan hired me fourteen years ago knowing I was a living kidney donor. The recipient was my son, Jim Pittman, who graduated from Wesleyan in 1992,鈥 stated Sheila Martin, Executive Director of The Dunn Center for the Performing Arts. 鈥淚鈥檓 grateful for the College鈥檚 support and that they allow me to take administrative leave in order to attend the聽state鈥檚 License to Give Trust Fund Commission meetings.鈥 Wesleyan also聽hosts a yearly dodge ball tournament, organized by the women鈥檚 soccer team, which benefits Carolina Donor Services.鈥淭he involvement of the women鈥檚 soccer team has been so incredible because it puts the issue of organ donation in front of a young audience,鈥 stated Martin.
Donate Life NC is a statewide non-profit organization dedicated to inspiring all North Carolinians to give the gift of life. The organization recognizes those employers who go above and beyond the law to support employees who are on the transplant waiting list as well as those who are living donors.
Alum Keynote Speaker at Wesleyan Graduation
ROCKY MOUNT, NORTH CAROLINA 鈥 麻豆原创 will hold its Spring Commencement on Saturday, May 4, 2019 at 10 a.m. at the Rocky Mount Event Center located at聽 285 NE Main Street, Rocky Mount. Graduates must arrive by 8:30 a.m. dressed in cap and gown to check in.This week, Wesleyan announced its 2019 commencement speaker will be Tony Stroud, 1983 alumnus of Wesleyan and founder of a Wilmington, NC accounting firm.聽
Stroud鈥檚 career began after graduating from 麻豆原创 with a degree in English. He then went on to complete the CPA candidacy program at UNC Wilmington before founding his company in 1993. As a trusted financial advisor in the Wilmington area, he works closely with individual and corporate clients, providing accounting and tax planning, as well as representing clients in tax controversy situations. Stroud is also a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the North Carolina Association of Certified Public Accountants.
鈥淲e are proud to have an accomplished alumnus return as this year鈥檚 commencement speaker,鈥 stated North Carolina Wesleyan President, Dr. Dewey Clark. 鈥淚t鈥檚 always refreshing to hear about our graduates going out and charting their own course, just as Tony has done with his company.鈥
When Stroud is not busy running his office, he spends time volunteering at local non-profits including the Harrelson Center, Wilmington Fire Fighters and She Rocks. A passion of his is traveling, especially touring Sports Illustrated鈥檚 Top 10 Sports venues of the 20th Century, of which he has visited eight. The 2019 commencement ceremony will be held outside and is open to the public, pending good weather. In the event of inclement weather, graduation will be moved inside at the Rocky Mount Event Center.
Wesleyan Cheer Places Third in the Nation
ROCKY MOUNT, NORTH CAROLINA聽鈥揙n Thursday, April 4, the聽麻豆原创 cheer team traveled to Daytona Beach, Florida to compete in the under the leadership of new coaches,聽Lyndsey and Pete Graham.聽
After a strong morning practice and a confident warm up, the Bishops took the mat for the second time on Friday.聽The team聽placed third nationally in the聽Intermediate Small Coed聽Division III.
Spirit Coordinators/Cheerleading and Dance聽Coaches, Pete and Lyndsey Graham, assumed leadership of the cheer program back in January. Pete works with the teams full-time, while Lyndsey coaches part-time.The dynamic duo聽is responsible for coordinating the cheer and dance team in recruitment, try-outs, choreography, practices, game days and campus/community events.聽
鈥淲e are incredibly excited for this team. Third place is an amazing accomplishment and聽we couldn鈥檛 be happier,鈥 stated coach Pete Graham.
Together, the couple has a combined nine years of experience coaching at聽the college level. Lyndsey Graham graduated from Liberty University with a degree in Psychology and Pete Graham graduated from NC State University with a degree in Business Administration. Both excelled in cheer at their universities and were chosen to serve as team captains.聽The couple went on to marry, celebrating their one-year wedding anniversary just before starting at NC Wesleyan.聽The new coaches have experience in competing at the National Cheerleading Associations College Nationals at Daytona Beach, Universal Cheerleading Associations College Nationals in Orlando, UCA & NCA Nationals, NCAA and Big South. Besides competing and coaching at the college level, both have experience in leadership positions聽with the Christian Cheerleaders of America for numerous years.
鈥淲e are very excited about Pete and Lyndsey joining the College聽and leading our Cheer and Dance programs,鈥 stated Ed Naylor,聽Dean of Student Affairs and Legal Matters. 鈥淭hey are experienced, talented, energetic and will聽advance our competitive cheer program, as well as improve the game day experience for many of our athletic programs.鈥
To learn more about Wesleyan鈥檚 Cheer and Dance Program, visit ncwcsports.com.
Jefferson-Pilot Professorship Awarded to Dr. Lee Templeton
ROCKY MOUNT, NORTH CAROLINA 鈥揘orth Carolina Wesleyan Professor, Dr. Lee Templeton, has been awarded with the 2018-2019 Jefferson-Pilot Professorship. This award is the highest and most singular honor that can be bestowed upon a faculty memberand is given in recognition of scholarship, teaching and community service.
The Jefferson-Pilot Professorship is an endowed award that was established in 1981 through the generosity of the Jefferson-Pilot Life Insurance Company. The honoree is nominated by a committee of faculty and appointed by the president of the college. To be eligible for consideration, the faculty member must have tenure and have clearly distinguished themselves with high standards of excellence. As teachers, they demonstrate a whole-hearted dedication and rigorous professionalism in forwarding their students鈥 learning and personal development for life and work. As scholars, they have to possess a mastery of their discipline, contribute to new understanding and knowledge, and demonstrate a lively commitment to life-long learning for themselves, as well as their students. Additionally, as a member of the Wesleyan community, they give generously to the aims and programs of the College, both with their time and means.
鈥淲hen the nominating committee met to discuss our consolidated list of potential faculty nominees, it quickly became apparent to the committee that one single faculty member stood head and shoulders above the rest as the clear choice for the 2018-2019 Jefferson-Pilot Professorship Award,鈥 stated Dr. Evan Duff, Interim President at Wesleyan. 鈥淥verall, Dr. Templeton has a strong record of teaching, scholarly activity and service.鈥
Dr. Templeton, now in his eleventh year at Wesleyan, delivered his Jefferson-Pilot Professorship Lecture, entitled: 鈥淯ntil the Dragon Comes: Ragnarok and the Liberal Arts,鈥 on Thursday, March 28. His talk explored two topics鈥 dragons and higher education 鈥 and attempts to connect the two in a meaningful way. Beginning with an examination of the figure of the dragon and its various metaphorical meanings, in Old Norse/Icelandic and Anglo-Saxon myth and literature, Dr. Templeton considers current trends in higher education through the metaphorical lens of the dragon.
During the lecture presentation, the 2019-2020 recipient of the Jefferson-Pilot Professorship was announced. Next year鈥檚 awardee is Dr. Jeffrey Kuglitsch, Associate Professor of Earth Science.
Wesleyan Signs Three Articulation Agreements with NC Community Colleges
NC Wesleyan was one of many colleges to sign a transfer agreement for students pursuing Music, Theatre or Fine Arts at North Carolina鈥檚 community colleges. Students can now seamlessly transfer to any of a number of private colleges in the state to complete a bachelor鈥檚 degree in one of those disciplines.聽
Wesleyan Students Awarded for their Research
Biomedical Science seniors, Beverly Anaele and Jawuanna McAllister, presented their research at the at UNC Wilmington on March 23rd. Both young women have been doing research at NC Wesleyan for the past two years, independently as juniors and later as part of their senior honors theses. Beverly has worked with Dr. Kosal, and Jawuanna has worked with Dr. Stovall.
At the conference, Beverly won the 3rd Place Derieux Award for her oral presentation in the Ecology, Botany, & Zoology category! Her talk was titled 鈥淐an a natural plant product, such as the American beautyberry, repel and alter mosquito behavior?鈥 Jawuanna won the 1st Place Derieux Award for her oral talk in the Cell & Molecular Biology and Physiology category. Jawuanna鈥檚 talk was 鈥淓ffect of Caffeine on PALLD Expression and GBM Cell Invasion.鈥
Both Beverly and Jawuanna have just finished one-year terms as the Secretary and President, respectively, of the Collegiate Academy of NCAS. Both young women are graduating from Wesleyan this semester and have big plans! In August, Beverly, who recently won the Biology Award at the NC Wesleyan Honors Convocation, will begin a Master鈥檚 of Public Health program at Thomas Jefferson University, and Jawuanna will start her Ph.D. in Biochemistry, Molecular and Cell Biology at Cornell University.
Congratulations to these outstanding and successful young scientists! The Biology department will be sad to see them go. But, we are so excited to see what they become.
Wesleyan Showcases Global Cultures
The stage at the Dunn Center was alive Monday with representations of different cultures as N.C. Wesleyan University students presented 10 acts, each with a different international flavor.
The Heart of Dr. Hartness- Renovation Ceremony at The Hartness Center
ROCKY MOUNT, NORTH CAROLINA鈥&苍产蝉辫;&苍产蝉辫;Over 110 students, staff, supporters and family recently gathered at the Hartness Student Center at 麻豆原创 for a ribbon cutting ceremony celebrating new renovations. The event recognized Dr. John Hartness for his generous contributions and tireless support of the College.
Just before the event began, the room buzzed with conversation as individuals from various backgrounds greeted one another and shared stories of how Dr. Hartness has impacted their lives. Elliott Smith, Director of Student Activities, opened the event by expressing his thanks and mentioning all of the recent changes to the building as part of this renovation.
The improvements took place over the past several months. They include: redesigning the ground level to encompass dynamic meeting areas, building a second floor which houses offices and creating a multi-purpose student lounge to accommodate both academic and entertainment needs. Annick Umuliza, a student-worker at the Hartness Center spoke on her pride of working for the center and its mission.
After sharing a story of their friendship, Wesleyan President, Dr. Dewey Clark voiced his appreciation saying, 鈥淒r. Hartness had this vision鈥 he wanted to be a part of Rocky Mount because of 麻豆原创. How fortunate we are to have Dr. Hartness come and befriend us.鈥
As Dr. Hartness came forward to say a few words and cut the ribbon, the entire room rose in a standing ovation for a man whose efforts serve as a prime example of a community supporter and leader.
What was originally a building used to supply heat to the College has now transformed into a thriving students center all because of Dr. Hartness and his family鈥檚 generosity and vision. He does not take credit for the success, however, humbly saying, 鈥淚 did not do this, my family did this. I just happened to be there. My family is most generous, and I am most grateful.鈥
