ROCKY MOUNT, NORTH CAROLINA— North Carolina Wesleyan University announces the expansion of its Logistics and Supply Chain Management concentration into an official major. Starting this fall, Wesleyan will offer a Bachelor of Science in Logistics and Supply Chain Management on its main campus in Rocky Mount and online. According to universities.com, the program will be one of two baccalaureate level institutions in the state to offer the degree, with Wesleyan being the only private college in the state providing the declared major.
In August 2018, the NC House Appropriations Committee awarded the College a grant to assist with the program expansion. John Check, Senior Advisor to the President together with Board Member Jeff Collins and Lt. Governor Dan Forest were instrumental in helping secure the grant. These funds enable Wesleyan to hire an admissions representative, a full-time faculty member, issue new classroom software and complete additional classroom enhancements.
Alumna, Cheryl Barnhill joined Wesleyan’s team this past September as an Aspire Recruiter for the program and Dr. Zhaoqiong “Julie” Qin will come aboard in August 2019 as a full-time Assistant Professor of Logistics. Qin holds a Ph.D. in Transportation Management from Jersey Institute of Technology, a Master’s of Science in Logistics and Operations and Bachelors of Material Engineering from Southwest Jiaotong University of China.
With CSX and Triangle Tire both expected to break ground this quarter, Wesleyan’s new program comes at the ideal time for potential partnerships with the two. The Bachelor of Science in Logistics and Supply Chain Management program allows residences of the community and surrounding areas access to a quality education with opportunities for employment right here in their hometown.
Dr. Evan Duff, Wesleyan Interim President stated, “The Bachelor of Science in Logistic and Supply Chain Management degree builds upon NCC and ECC’s programs and provides students with coursework at the senior institution level, opening the door for middle and senior level management positions. In most cases, students from NCC and ECC can transfer in up to 60 hours from their AAS degree.” N.C. Wesleyan is leading the way with their commitment to providing students with the best quality programs in the state. To learn more about the new Bachelor of Science in Logistics and Supply Chain Management programs contact the Office of Admissions at 252.985.5200.
North Carolina Wesleyan, Wake Tech Announce Degree Completion Program for Exercise Science Students
ROCKY MOUNT, NORTH CAROLINA – North Carolina Wesleyan University and Wake Technical Community College recently announced a new partnership allowing graduates of Wake Tech’s Associate of Applied Science degree in Health and Fitness to earn a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science degree from N.C. Wesleyan. The comprehensive agreement includes all college transfer degrees (AA/AS), as well as over 25 AAS programs.
Dr. Evan Duff, Wesleyan Interim President, said, “We are excited to enhance our long-term partnership with Wake Tech to expand the educational opportunities for their students. Our goal at Wesleyan is to align our mission and resources to meet the ever-changing needs of students in our communities. For Wake Tech students seeking a four-year degree, this program provides a clear path and seamless transition while maximizing each student’s financial investment in their education.”
Through this partnership, students complete Exercise Science coursework over the summer at Wake Tech’s Northern Campus or online and general education requirements during the fall and spring semesters at Wesleyan’s Durham campus or online. Wake Tech will provide 2-3 classrooms, along with access to their Exercise Science Laboratory at the Northern Campus, during summer terms.
“We are excited to expand our education partnership with NC Wesleyan through this agreement! This greatly impacts our student-body by providing students the opportunity to continue their education without leaving their city. Agreements like this improve the health and wellness industry in the triangle.” commented Chris Kacyon, Department Head of Health and Fitness Science at Wake Technical Community College.
Wesleyan also offers Wake Tech students the ability to transfer their associate’s degree in Supply Chain Management or Healthcare Business Informatics to Wesleyan’s bachelor degree programs in Logistics and Organizational Leadership with a concentration in Healthcare respectively.
Wesleyan’s Exercise Science Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP), the largest external, programmatic accrediting body of the health sciences professions. The accredited program is one of three in the entire state and one of 64 in the United States to receive such recognition. “There’s tremendous growth in the health sciences sector and Exercise Science is one of our most sought-after programs,” noted Dr. Meir Magal, Program Director and Professor of Exercise Science. “Students have a wide array of career options in fields such as cardiac rehabilitation, pulmonary rehabilitation, corporate fitness/health, personal training in public and corporate settings, corporate wellness and strength and conditioning. Our program also prepares our students for acceptance into physical therapy, occupational therapy and other graduate programs.”
Lewin Promoted to Head Men’s Soccer Coach
ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. – NC Wesleyan University Director of Athletics, Aaron Denton has announced assistant men’s soccer coach Meir Lewin has been promoted to the head men’s soccer position for the Battling Bishops in the 2019-20 season.
Lewin is replacing the departing Frankie Taal, who went back to his alma mater at Bethany College (WV) to become the head coach after 9 stellar seasons as the head soccer coach at Wesleyan including two USA South regular season titles and one conference tournament crown with a trip to the 2017 NCAA tournament.
Lewin spent one season as Taal’s assistant coach and helped lead the team to a 9-7-1 record and 8-3-1 in the USA South along with a conference semifinal berth.
“I am very excited to have Meir as our new men’s soccer coach,” said Denton. “Meir has a unique set of experiences as a player, coach and education professional which will serve him well at Wesleyan and in the DIII setting. He is committed to our student-athletes as well as building on the storied success of our men’s soccer program.”
“It is an honor to be named the head coach of NC Wesleyan men’s soccer. I would like to thank our president, Dr. Clark, and our athletic director, Mr. Denton for entrusting me with the responsibility of leading this program. Additionally, I would like to thank Frankie Taal for everything he has done in building such a strong foundation here,” commented Lewin.
Lewin comes to Wesleyan after most recently serving as the assistant coach at Mary Washington University (VA) while he was also the assistant for two seasons at Washington College in Maryland from 2012-2014. While at Washington College, Lewin coached 4 Centennial All-Conference award winners and 6 honor roll members.
He was also a former scout for the Israeli Football Association National Team. Lewin played professionally in Israel serving as the team captain from 2007-11 starting 72 games and being named to the league-best-11 in 2009-10 as well.
Lewin was also a teaching assistant and Instructor in the Department of Kinesiology at the University of Maryland since 2014. He will serve as an adjunct English faculty at Wesleyan this Fall.
Lewin graduated with a B.A. in Government in 2011 from the Interdisciplinary Center of Herzliya, Israel. He also completed his Masters in English from Washington College in 2014. He is currently pursuing his Ph.D in Kinesiology and Physical Cultural Studies from the Univ. of Maryland.
Wesleyan Staying Abreast of Student Safety
ROCKY MOUNT, NORTH CAROLINA – As part of Wesleyan’s continued efforts to increase security on campus, the College recently started offering women’s self-defense classes. College security personnel patrols the campus 24 hours a day and the Rocky Mount Police Department on the evenings and weekends; however, the safety of students off-campus and for commuters is also imperative.
Though Wesleyan cannot prevent off-campus attacks, they hope to give students the tools to be self-reliant and to prioritize their safety. Prior to the end of the semester, the College partnered with Kuntaw Legacy International Martial Arts Academy holding two well-attended sessions in May. Those in attendance were taught key self-defense tactics they can utilize to protect themselves in an unsafe predicament.
Safety is a top priority to NC Wesleyan faculty and staff. In the past few years, Wesleyan has beefed up on-campus security features through Eddie and Allison Smith Foundation grants and crime has continued to remain low. In addition to adding self-defense classes, Wesleyan provides sexual assault and domestic violence seminars and has sent out anonymous surveys to foster open communication with students about any concerns. Additional emergency blue light 911 call boxes and video surveillance cameras have also been installed in the past year.
Feedback regarding the value of the self defense program was very positive from those in attendance. One student, Natalie Larson, has also stepped forward to seek funding from her non-profit organization, Brace Change, to ensure the program can be a monthly fixture on campus next year.
“The opportunity to bring self-defense classes to NCWC is another positive step in keeping our students safe. We plan on continuing this and other similar components in the fall semester,” stated Wayne Sears, Director of Security at NC Wesleyan.
Kuntaw Legacy International Martial Arts is a training facility owned by William and Alicia Kossmann in Wilson, NC. William is a seventh degree black belt in the art of Kuntaw, an international champion and a multiple gold medalist of the NC State Games. Alicia is a ninth degree red belt with over 45 years of experience in Kuntaw Legacy martial arts, as well as a multiple gold medalist of the NC State Games.
Wesleyan Holds College Heat Title with Second Consecutive Win in 2019 Tackle the Tar
The event raised more than $100,000 so local students can attend Edgecombe Community College, Nash Community College or N.C. Wesleyan University. NC Wesleyan would like to thank ALL of the sponsors and participants that help send kid’s to college. Five of the top six and seven of the top ten finishers in the College Heat at this year’s event went to NC Wesleyan competitors. GREAT JOB! #TackletheTar2019
Check out the full race results at:
tacklethetar.com/2019-race-results
ECC and Wesleyan Renew Transfer Agreement
This renewed transfer agreement greatly expands the number of specific Associate in Applied Science degrees from Edgecombe Community College that will transfer to Wesleyan. We are excited to continue this successful partnership! READ MORE >
Wesleyan Bids Farewell to Class of 2019
Graduates Inaugural Masters Class
ROCKY MOUNT, NORTH CAROLINA – North Carolina Wesleyan University held its Spring Commencement on Saturday, May 4 at the Rocky Mount Event Center. This year’s 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. “Integrity 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,” 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’s 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’s new Master’s in Criminal Justice program.
“We are very excited to graduate our first master’s class,” stated Wesleyan President Dr. Dewey Clark. “These 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.”
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’s 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’s 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 Students Awarded for their Research
Wesleyan Students Awarded for their Research
Biomedical Science seniors, Beverly Anaele and Jawuanna McAllister, presented their research at the NC Academy of Science (NCAS) at UNC Wilmington on March 23, 2019. 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 “Can a natural plant product, such as the American beautyberry, repel and alter mosquito behavior?” Jawuanna won the 1st Place Derieux Award for her oral talk in the Cell & Molecular Biology and Physiology category. Jawuanna’s talk was “Effect of Caffeine on PALLD Expression and GBM Cell Invasion.”
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’s 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 Receives Employer Excellence Award from Donate Life NC
ROCKY MOUNT, NORTH CAROLINA – Recently, North Carolina Wesleyan University received an Award of Employer Excellence from Donate Life North Carolina. April is National Donate Life Month, 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.
“For 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,” 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 actively volunteered for many years to increase public awareness of the great need for registered organ donors.
“NC 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,” stated Sheila Martin, Executive Director of The Dunn Center for the Performing Arts. “I’m grateful for the College’s support and that they allow me to take administrative leave in order to attend the state’s License to Give Trust Fund Commission meetings.” Wesleyan also hosts a yearly dodge ball tournament, organized by the women’s soccer team, which benefits Carolina Donor Services.“The involvement of the women’s soccer team has been so incredible because it puts the issue of organ donation in front of a young audience,” 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 – North Carolina Wesleyan University will hold its Spring Commencement on Saturday, May 4, 2019 at 10 a.m. at the Rocky Mount Event Center located at 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 Stroud & Company, a Wilmington, NC accounting firm.
Stroud’s career began after graduating from North Carolina Wesleyan University 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.
“We are proud to have an accomplished alumnus return as this year’s commencement speaker,” stated North Carolina Wesleyan President, Dr. Dewey Clark. “It’s always refreshing to hear about our graduates going out and charting their own course, just as Tony has done with his company.”
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’s 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.
