June 30, 2026
Dear UNCW Community:
Summer is here, and another academic year is behind us, but the Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ campus is never quiet. Earlier this month, we welcomed back more than 100 Seahawks for the Alumni Association’s annual It was a wonderful opportunity to see old friends, celebrate achievements, and showcase the warmth, beauty and Seahawk spirit of our campus and coastal community.
We are keeping those community connections going strong thanks in part to Kenan Auditorium’s summer programming for all ages. A live Seahawk FAM show is presented every week, offering families an affordable and entertaining break from the heat.
Our students and faculty also continue to earn national and international recognition. Congratulations to McKenna Beard ’27 and Rianza de Wet ’27, who are among nine winners of a prestigious DeJoy-Woś scholarship. The scholars participate in The Fund for American Studies Academic Internship Program in Washington, D.C., where they will complete courses and intern with leading organizations. Louis DeJoy served as the 75th U.S. Postmaster General and his wife, former U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Estonia, The Honorable Aldona Woś, M.D., is vice chair of UNCW’s Board of Trustees.
UNCW’s Remote Sensing and Artificial Intelligence for Precipitation (RAIN) Lab is one of only five research teams outside Japan selected by Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) as partners in a project using enhanced satellite data to increase the accuracy of global precipitation measurements. Yalei You, assistant professor of earth and ocean sciences, is guiding UNCW’s research, which employs artificial intelligence and the Cuttlefish high-performance computing cluster at the Center for Marine Science.
With the excitement of the World Cup matches being hosted in cities across North America, I invite you to make plans now for the fall soccer season at UNCW. Schedules for both the and teams have been announced, and for a strong slate of competition. Season ticket sales have also opened for the . Packages for men’s games will again include the , which is returning to Trask Coliseum over Thanksgiving weekend. Joining UNCW on the court will be Liberty, Princeton and St. Thomas (Minnesota).
As we approach the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence this weekend, I want to take a moment to appreciate the promise that America represents and the role this country has played in my own journey, opening doors of opportunity for my family and me. UNCW has been a champion of great opportunities for students for nearly 79 years, starting with the very first World War II veterans who enrolled in our founding class. I wish you all a safe and festive Fourth of July holiday!
Yours in Seahawk spirit,
Aswani K. Volety
Chancellor
