Thorp stops in Wilmington

When Chancellor Holden Thorp headed to the coast Thursday he wasn't there for a beach day.

He was there for his fifth stop on a week-long state tour. He visited UNC-Wilmington the N.C. Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores and the Institute of Marine Sciences" a satellite campus of UNC-Chapel Hill.

His began by meeting with UNC-W's Chancellor Rosemary DePaolo and visiting the UNC-W Center for Marine Science.

""It is really an interesting and energetic place. They are really building a campus that is an exciting place for students"" Thorp said.

Dana Fischetti, manager of media relations at UNC-W, emphasized the potential for partnership between the two universities.

The two schools have always collaborated. Research" academia and administration are areas where we work well together Fischetti said.

DePaolo did a similar state tour when she first became chancellor.

A trip such as this is a common very good first step to meeting counterparts in the system Fischetti said.

Thorp also visited the N.C. Aquarium's marsh site with students from the UNC-CH Institute of Marine Sciences.

We hope that Chancellor Thorp can see things firsthand — how the marshes are affected by climate change and development and what we are dealing with on the coast" said institute Director Rick Luettich.

While there, Thorp examined different fish, attended a marine sciences lecture and participated in a laser scan to evaluate beach erosion.

After three days away from campus it was great to see Carolina students"" Thorp said.

Thorp then moved on to the UNC-CH Marine Science Institute in Morehead City, where UNC  undergraduate students have the opportunity to learn and experiment in the field of environmental studies.

We are really interested in doing everything we can to protect the North Carolina coast. The institute is really visionary"" Thorp said.

Students typically spend one day a week conducting field research, two days in class and two days interning with local establishments or taking part in field research.

Luettich said that he is thrilled that Thorp is making this trip around the state after holding the position of chancellor for only a few months.

The single biggest issue we are interested in is how we can do more for the University and the state"" Luettich said. We are always looking to better ourselves when dealing with the many coastal issues that our institute is not able to address.""



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