CHAPEL HILL (October 22, 2020) – The UNC Board of Governors recognized professors from UNC Charlotte and UNC Wilmington today with the 2019 Governor James E. Holshouser Awards for Excellence in Public Service.
DR. MARK WEST, a Professor of English at UNC Charlotte, is a pioneer in children’s literature and a passionate advocate for early-childhood literacy, both in his academic pursuits and the Charlotte community.
In a video that accompanied the award, West candidly explained that he struggled to read as a child, yet his father continued to read to him every night. Something clicked when he was in 7th grade, he says, and he went from being considered “mildly retarded” to a straight-A student in a single year.
Surrounded by books in his office, he says, “I care, frankly, more about children’s literature than I do about adult literature – because to me, it makes more of a difference.”
DR. MARTIN POSEY, a professor in the Department of Biology and Marine Science and Director of UNCW’s Center for Marine Science, has collaborated with groups such as the NC Coastal Federation and the Cape Fear River Association.
In the video that accompanied the award, UNCW Chancellor Jose “Zito” Sartarelli describes Posey as “a collaborative leader – he loves to work with people.”
Over and over, Posey’s colleagues describe him as a great listener who shares with the community well beyond scientific conferences.
“Martin’s been able to get people to care about the squiggly things that live in the mud,” Dr. Christopher Finelli, Dean of the UNCW Graduate School in Biology and Marine Biology.
Leave a Reply