Friends of UNCW

The Friends of UNCW promotes and supports educational, scientific, and charitable projects at UNCW.

Founded in December 1963, the Friends rallied to help Wilmington College - now UNCW - achieve accreditation as a four-year institution by increasing library holdings from 11,000 to 50,000 volumes. The Friends have been steadfast UNCW supporters for more than 60 years.

Who are the Friends of UNCW

Anyone who makes a donation to the Friends of UNCW Support Fund is a Friend of UNCW!

You can become a Friend: Give Today

Additionally, the Friends of UNCW Board of Directors are an especially dedicated group of volunteers who raise funds to fuel their two main initiatives:

1) Grant Program

Proposals are submitted by faculty and staff to support projects in all areas of campus. Projects typically range from $250 - $2,500. These microgrants can have big impacts on students and the community, from STEM summer camp scholarships for kids from the community to inclusive recreation equipment for students to lab equipment that fuels discovery and research. Learn about the grants awarded this year!

2) Merit Scholarship

Awarded annually to an in-state freshman Honors student, this scholarship assists UNCW in recruiting and retaining academically strong students.

 

Elizabeth Dunn Friends of UNCW

My job on these boards is to be a part of keeping the university vibrant, and on the map.

Read more about Elizabeth Dunn, Friends of UNCW & Board of Visitors Member  »

Support the Friends of UNCW Grant Program

Give Now

 

Members

Executive Committee

 

Allison Graham

Secretary

Cynthia Boylan

Treasurer

Louise Gorham ’59

Honorary Life Member

Board of Directors

 

Nan Caison '83

Kathey Craig

Julie Fisher '83

Margaret Freeman

Amber Harris '04

Koula Katsikis

Karen King '94

Jane Maloy

Linda Miles

Christian Miller

Jeffrey Newell '71

Nancy Rau

Lindsay Smith

Kay Warren

 

To speak with someone about the Friends of UNCW, contact:

Stephanie Borrett
Development Specialist for Boards Management
(910) 962-3592
borrettsw@uncw.edu

 

More About the Grant Program

Due to the generosity of donors, the Friends of UNCW has provided microgrants to the UNCW campus for more than 20 years.

Over the past 9 years, the Friends of UNCW allocated more than $146K to support 163 projects! The Friends of UNCW Board of Directors is proud to support a wide variety of creative and innovative ideas to support the UNCW campus.

Last year, 67 proposals were reviewed and 17 were awarded, totaling more than $25,000 in funds deployed to support students and the UNCW campus. Here is a glimpse into the awarded projects.

 

 

Child with UNCW tutor in Betty Stike Education Lab kitchen

Grants Awarded Spring 2024
    1. Grant to the Early Childhood, Elementary, Middle, Literacy & Special Education (EEMLS) Department to foster an innovative, interdisciplinary approach to STEAM education through an engaging, arts-based social-emotional learning toolkit.
    2. Grant to the Center for Education in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (CESTEM) to support science and engineering practices with STEM Story Time and expand the resources available in CESTEM's Technology Loan Program (TLP) that are appropriate for PreK - Grade 2 students that connect literacy to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
    3. Grant to the Department of Instructional Technology, Foundations and Secondary Education to support scholarships and equipment for the Junior Seahawk Academy, a platform for middle school aged students from economically disadvantaged and underrepresented populations to develop interests in STEM, health and education careers.
    4. Grant to the Betty Holden Stike Education Laboratory to fund the Kitchen Classroom Kit Project and provide learning resources to children from the community who are tutored in The Betty Holden Stike Education Laboratory by a UNCW future teacher in Watson College of Education.
    5. Grant to the School of Health & Applied Human Sciences - Recreation Therapy program to increase the accessibility, inclusion, representation, and visibility of and for students, faculty, and staff with disabilities at UNCW and the broader community through adaptive recreation and sport programming.
    6. Grant to the Department of Biology and Marine Biology to eliminate participation barriers by purchasing materials to facilitate equitable student learning opportunities and community education impact of the UNCW Marine Mammal Stranding Program.
    7. Grant to the Department of Biology and Marine Biology to purchase an analyzer for high-enrollment classes to quantify hemoglobin-oxygen affinity to support student understanding of a basic biological function.
    8. Grant to the Department of Biology and Marine Biology to train students on techniques in calibrated biological photography for the purposes of data collection, course development, scientific communication and community engagement.
    9. Grant to the Department of Anthropology to expand the Hominoid Cranial Cast Collection to show the evolution of humans through the inclusion of important specimens currently lacking in the collection.
    10. Grant to the College of Humanities, Social Sciences, and the Arts (CHSSA) Dean's Office to support our diverse student population by creating an educational library focusing on the profession of academic advising to support the professional growth of our advising team.
    11. Grant to the Department of World Languages and Cultures to purchase eight Dry Erase Whiteboard Film Surfaces to encourage a collaborative environment, increase participation, and foster communication in our language classrooms.
    12. Grant to the Department of Art and Art History to help teach beginning and intermediate figure drawing and figure painting by purchasing plaster models which depict the muscular systems and help students visualize the human form.
    13. Grant to the Department of Art and Art History to purchase a new electric kiln for the ceramics studio to facilitate small runs and which is better suited to the specific demands of studio practice in a wheelchair.
    14. Grant to Randall Library to create a sensory-friendly study space tailored to the needs of neurodivergent and low-sensory students, faculty, and staff to position Randall Library as a welcoming and supportive hub for all members of our university community.
    15. Grant to Campus Life to purchase and install two pieces of student art in the Ann Flack Boseman Art Gallery, allowing Campus Activities & Programs to grow their student art collection in Campus Life Facilities
    16. Grant to University College to purchase study materials for UNCW's Pre-Law students to promote and increase the acceptance rate into Law School.
    17. Grant to the UNCW Recycling to purchase a Storm Drain Litter Trap to capture debris escaping UNCW's public Recycling Facility to help protect the Bradley Creek and Hewlett's Creek watersheds as well as the nearby Intercoastal Waterway.