From the Desk of VWU President Scott Miller

Dear friends,

锘緼s I think back on the last month, I realize that much of what's occurred here on campus is about unity鈥攁 collective desire to move forward together as we prepared for the start of another semester with in-person instruction during a time of national strife. At VWU, faculty, staff, students, and parents have worked together to make our Marlins' return to campus as safe as possible. As a campus community, we are united in our efforts to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 so that we can continue with our spring semester as planned.

On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we continued with our tradition of presenting an award to a student who practices the ideals set forth by Dr. King鈥攃ourage and conviction in valuing differences, commitment to seeing beyond borders by building inclusion, compassion for humanity, and/or commitment to social change. I am proud to say that the distinction is now named The Mavis McKenley '11 Award in honor of our valued alumna and Board of Trustees member. Congratulations to senior India Khanna who was named this year's award recipient.

Fans of Marlin Athletics united for our #HelpUsPlay campaign and raised nearly $60,000 to fund NCAA-mandated COVID-19 testing for all 22 intercollegiate athletics teams that play this spring. The Unity Flag Project started its exhibition in the Neil Britton Gallery of the Henry Clay Hofheimer II Library on Inauguration Day. We welcomed new members to the VWU Board of Trustees.

As we continue to embrace the new year within our new normal, we are grateful for the opportunity to be together once again, united in the hope that a brighter future is ahead.

Sincerely,

Virtual Commemoration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day

MLK Jr. Day Award Named to Honor

锘縈avis McKenley '11

VWU Announces New Trustees

Unity Flag Project Visits VWU

Over the years I have enjoyed writing regular columns and contributing to articles.

Included below are links to several recent publications. Visit vwu.edu/president for more.

President to President: Fostering A Culture of Innovation

The fifth chapter of the 2020-2021 thought leadership series is now available online. In "," Hollins University President Mary Dana Hinton, Ph.D., describes how innovative thinking in higher education can advance efforts to achieve racial equality and social justice. She examines the recent heightened focus on these issues and encourages campus leaders to view current and future challenges such as these as opportunities for progress.

In this year's President to President series, titled "," prominent higher education leaders share how they are meeting the challenges of an unprecedented era through an ongoing focus on innovation. Each chapter contains the invaluable expertise of a college or university president and offers tangible solutions to the issues many campuses now face. We hope this series provides useful ideas for your campus and look forward to continuing to share a new chapter each month.

麻豆传媒rtb officials continue to monitor the outbreak of COVID-19, following guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Virginia Department of Health (VDH).

The University's Emergency Response Team has created VWU CovidSafe to provide information about the current number of confirmed cases impacting our campus. It will be updated weekly on Wednesdays to keep the community apprised of our current situation.

Dr. Scott D. Miller is president of 麻豆传媒rtb. Respected as one of the most entrepreneurial higher education executives in America, he is in his 30th year as a university president. Dr. Miller has dedicated his career to the opportunities available through education. He especially values the small, classical, liberal arts college environment that offers students personalized pathways to life and career success.

Previously, he was president of Bethany College (2007-2015), Wesley College (1997-2007), and Lincoln Memorial University (1991-1997). He was also Executive Vice President (1988-1991) and Vice President for Development (1984-1988) at Lincoln Memorial University and Director of College Relations and Alumni Affairs at Rio Grande College (now University) in Ohio. Read more.