Virginia Beach Public Schools recognizes Virginia
Wesleyan and Virginia Natural Gas as Model Partners.
Shown here are (left to right): Richard Webb, Bank
of the Commonwealth; Stephen Mansfield, Ph.D.,
VWC academic dean; Ginger Ferris, VWC assistant
professor of education; Hank Lingenfelter, president
of Virginia Natural Gas; Nancy Smith, Virginia
Natural Gas publications specialist; Marilyn Durazo,
guidance counselor, W.T. Cooke Elementary
School; Greg Anderson, principal, W.T.
Cooke Elementary School; and Timothy
Jenney, Ph.D., superintendent,
Virginia Beach City Public Schools.
Public schools recognize Virginia Wesleyan as Model Partner
The Virginia Beach City Public Schools recognized Virginia Wesleyan College in May as a model partner for two programs. Partnerships between the Marlins Baseball Team and Point 'O View Elementary School, and the VWC Education Department and W.T. Cooke Elementary School were recognized.
Virginia Wesleyan Baseball Coach Nick Boothe has ensured that the children at Point 'O View Elementary School had tutors and mentors for more than a decade. Boothe's players, always in uniform, participate in school programs, read, help with homework, provide support for field days and assist needy families. The recognition this year came when the Old Dominion Athletic Conference Champions were competing for the NCAA Southeastern Championship, illustrating the student's contributions on and off the field.
Pipeline to the Community is the second program recognized. It is a three-way partnership between the college's Education Department, Virginia Beach City Public Schools and Virginia Natural Gas that dates back to 1993. Pipeline focuses on the educational needs of the family, providing parents of three- and four-year-olds with tools to effectively interact with their preschoolers while their children are learning appropriate social skills to begin school successfully. The program was hosted by Cooke Elementary.
Norfolk Foundation awards science renovation matching gift
Four months ahead of deadline and $5,000 over goal, Virginia Wesleyan College claimed a $163,000 matching gift from the Norfolk Foundation for science renovations. The matching effort was aided by a $100,000 grant from the Beazley Foundation and 15 gifts from alumni, including two at the $5,000 level, as well as gifts from faculty, staff, trustees and a local corporation.
The Norfolk Foundation grant is the single largest gift ever to the Natural Science and Mathematics division and will have a significant impact on the quality of Virginia Wesleyan laboratory curriculum for many years to come, said Physics Professor Garry Noe.
Funds will be used to reconfigure existing labs for distinct purposes. A "wet," chemical sensitive lab will be equipped for the study of cell biology, biochemistry, microbiology and genetics. These courses make up part of an interdisciplinary branch of biology and biochemistry known as biotechnology, which is the fastest growing area in biology.
A "dry" lab utilizing sophisticated electronic equipment will serve as a physics and earth and environmental lab. This space will house additional physics apparatus and accommodate projection equipment, computers, microscopes and geographic information systems hardware and software. Additional funding to support this lab comes from a $38,000 grant from the National Science Foundation.
Renovations began after commencement in May.
Adult Studies Program holds 20th anniversary reunion
Enjoying the Adult Studies Program celebration are:
(from left) William (Bill) Gibson, Ph.D., professor
of political science; Dot Hinman, former Adult
Studies Program director; Kate Loring, Ph.D.,
current program director; and John Braley,
the "founding father" of the program.
Adult students are generally very busy, with work and family obligations. That's why contacting Virginia Wesleyan College Adult Studies Program (ASP) alumni from the past 20 years was challenging. But, the response was exemplary of the spirit of its students and graduates.
Nearly 100 people gathered last Sept. 21 to celebrate the program's 20th anniversary. Alumni came from as far as Iowa. Many classes were represented, and numerous faculty attended, including "founding fathers" John Braley and Robert Cass.
The celebration was held in the Jane P. Batten Center where current students, alumni and their families could take advantage of the facilities and enjoy an ice cream social.
Adult Studies evening classes began in fall 1982 with 52 students. The first major was the Liberal Arts Management Program, followed by Liberal Studies, Social Sciences and Criminal Justice. Later, the program added weekend classes and, in 2000, began offering Modified Distance Learning courses.
Bees are latest buzz on campus
Daniel (Dan) Margolies, Ph.D., assistant
professor of history, began a beekeeping
project at VWC that incorporates
multiple disciplines.
Have you heard the buzz? Dan Margolies, Ph.D., assistant professor of history, has launched a new beekeeping program that will eventually play host to bees in at least 12 hives on campus. In January, Margolies and biologist Victor Townsend, Ph.D., taught a well-attended winter session class titled "Bees and Beekeeping."
"The program is interdisciplinary," Margolies said. "It incorporates learning about the history of beekeeping, the biology of bees and the practical aspects. We are very excited about the program's future."
Students in the class constructed enough equipment for five hives for the four packages of Italian bees and one package of Starline bees, which arrived this spring. The bees have started making honey, and it is for sale in the college's Scribner Bookstore.
Winter Session offers innovative classes
As a replacement, Winter Session 2003 retained the innovation, experiential nature and intimae feeling of the old January Term. But, it added something new - courses for academic credit.
More than 25 percent of the student body enrolled in one of 19 courses offered in this three-week term, and some students supplemented their experience with one of five one-credit courses.
For example, "Extreme Religion" challenged participants to understand the religious function of practices such as self-mutilization. In "Women on the Brink," students gained first-hand sensitization to homelessness. And in "Kitchen Sciences," students learned about the chemical formulation of cheese in a beaker.
Empty Bowls filled for the hungry
Phil Guilfoyle, assistant professor of art,
demonstrates pottery throwing at the Empty
Bowls fundraiser at Virginia Wesleyan.
The sixth annual Empty Bowls Charity Dinner in March raised nearly $12,500 to feed the hungry in Hampton Roads.
Virginia Wesleyan hosts this event in partnership with the Ceramic Designers Association. The sold-out event attracted more than 600 guests, who selected a handmade ceramic bowl and enjoyed a modest meal of soup. Participants took their bowls home to remind them of their charitable contributions.
"There are some heart-warming stories of how the money has helped," says Fran Dumville, a member of 150-member CDA and chair of the event. "Last year, one organization that was having a very tough time was able to use the money to get matching funds from another source, so the gift went even further."
Imagine cleaning up over spring break
When college students think of spring break, they usually conjure up visions of a relaxing, warm getaway. But for one group of Virginia Wesleyan students, spring break is a time to help others.
In March, six students from a campus community service group called Imagine went to La Plata, MD, to help in the clean up effort from a devastating tornado that hit the small town a year ago. The group helped repair a Methodist church, rebuild homes and clean up debris.
The Imagine program was started in 1997 to give students the opportunity to work on community-based projects in communities in which they would not otherwise come in contact. Since then, students have traveled to North Carolina, Northern Virginia, Mexico and New York City.
Stem Cell controversy comes to campus
The Center for the Study of Religious Freedom brought together experts on all sides of the stem cell issue for a January conference, Embryonic Stem Cells: Science, Ethics and Public Policy.
Attendees learned about the research potential of stem cells, heard from theologians and ethicists on the morality of using embryonic stem cells and received an update on the legal status of the embryo and regulation of the biotech industry. The conference concluded with a debate on the role of religion in the development of public policy on embryonic cell research.
The hallmark of center programming is to model a process of civil discourse in which people passionately yet courteously discuss profoundly different views. The center's aimed to provide the public with a better understanding of the issue and to look at how religious beliefs translate into action on issues of social import.
The Sykes are a VWC family - all the way
Richard and Christie Sykes recently completed
two years as co-chairs of the Parents' Council
You might say that the Sykes family - Richard, Christie, Jeremy and Justin - has VWC in its blood. Both Jeremy ('99) and Justin ('03) are VWC alums, and Richard and Christie served four years on the VWC Parents' Council, with the last two as co-chairs.
The Norfolk family has a busy life - Richard is owner of R.L. Sykes Construction Company, and Christie is a kindergarten teacher at Norfolk Collegiate School. They are active in several community organizations and devoted much time to VWC.
"I know that seeing my parents going out of their way to help the Parent's Council, thus helping the college, has shown me that they want to help out with everything I'm doing," says Justin.
With Justin's graduation, the Sykes have left the council, but their tireless support has made a lasting difference in the lives or their own children and many others.
New video production suite opens
On the second floor of the Batten Center, the college has a new digital video production studio that houses state-of-the-art equipment, including an audio recording room, Avid and Pinnacle non-linear editing bays and a developing sound stage.
Stu Minnis, Ph.D., assistant professor of communications and studio manager, calls the facility fabulous, noting that it's unusual for a smaller college to have this caliber of equipment. He envisions sophisticated projects from students as they gain experience in the art of making movies.
Those projects appear to be underway, as his video and film courses fill up quickly with both communication majors and non-majors. In addition, the first Student Film Festival in the spring drew a standing-room only crowd, accolades and requests that it become an annual event.
Professor publishes book on Portsmouth
Robert (Bob) Albertson, Ph.D., professor
of management, business and economics,
displays his recent book on the history
of Portsmouth.
For Portsmouth's 250th anniversary, Robert Albertson, Ph.D., turned from his role as a professor of management, business and economics to become a historian. He collected rare photographs, prints and postcards for a book, Images of America: Portsmouth, Virginia.
This book shows the distinctive homes of Olde Towne and chronicles the city's rich contributions to American history. Albertson reveals the central roles played by the Naval Shipyard, the Naval Hospital and the Seaboard Airline Railway, along with the lore and legends of the people who have who have raised loving families in this seaport city since 1752.
Published in October, the book has been approved for a second printing. Copies are available postpaid for $22.50 from the Olde Towne Civic League Foundation, 222 North Street, Portsmouth, VA 23704. All profits and royalties support projects preserving Portsmouth's historic past.
Media Day produces stories
"Storytelling in Newspapers" was the theme for the annual College Media Day in April. Keynote speaker VWC alumnus John-Henry Doucette '01 shared his techniques for storytelling. Doucette was an award-winning columnist for The Marlin Chronicle and editor of the VWC Review. He is a staff writer for The Virginian-Pilot.
The event was sponsored by VWC's chapter of The Society for Collegiate Journalists and The Marlin Chronicle. Organizers included Teresa Annas, VWC alumna and arts writer for The Virginian-Pilot; Julie Elman, VWC design and layout instructor and front page designer for The Virginian-Pilot; and Bill Ruehlmann, VWC professor of journalism and columnist for The Virginian-Pilot and Port Folio Weekly.
Students heard from speakers on all means of newspaper storytelling, from writing and editing to layout, graphics and photography.